OF  THE 
UNIVERSITY 

°F 


HINTS    TO    RIFLEMEN. 


BY 

H.  W.  S.  CLEVELAND. 

h     • 


NEW  YORK : 
D.  APPLETON    AND    COMPANY, 

443  &  445  BROADWAY. 
LONDON:    16  LITTLE  BRITAIN. 

1864. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1864,  by 
D.  APPLETON  AND  COMPANY, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  the 
Southern  District  of  New  York. 


Q.L 


PKEFACE. 

MY  object  in  the  following  treatise  has  been  to 
create  and  promote  a  general  interest  in  a  subject 
which  I  have  long  believed  to  be  one  of  National 
importance.  As  I  make  no  claim  to  the  title  of  a 
scientific  man,  I  should  hardly  have  presumed  to 
put  forward  opinions  which  have  been  drawn 
mainly  from  practical  experience,  but  for  the  en- 
couraging reception  which  has  been  given  to  my 
shorter  essays,  which  I  was  induced  to  prepare, 
from  the  strong  conviction  I  felt  of  the  deficiency 
of  public  interest  in  the  subject,  and  because  (so  far 
as  I  am  aware)  the  only  recent  publications  in  this 
country  relating  to  it,  were  scientific  treatises,  not 
calculated  to  interest  the  general  reader. 

I  offer  these  "  hints  "  as  the  contribution  of  an 
old  sportsman,  and  if  I  succeed  in  any  degree  in 


JV1347345 


4:  PREFACE. 

exciting  an  interest  in  the  subject,  my  end  will 
have  been  gained,  even  if  the  future  investigations 
of  those  who  are  thus  attracted,  should  prove  any 
of  my  opinions  to  be  erroneous. 

To  the  friends  who  have  furnished  or  aided  me 
in  procuring  materials  and  information,  which  have 
proved  of  value  to  me  in  its  preparation,  as  well  as 
to  those  who  have  given  me  the  encouraging  help 
of  a  friendly  interest  in  the  undertaking,  I  offer  my 
grateful  acknowledgments. 

My  thanks  are  especially  due  to  Messrs.  WM. 
BEAD  &  SON  and  Messrs.  PALMERS  &  BATCHELDERS, 
for  furnishing  me  with  arms  and  materials,  which 
have  been  of  essential  service  in  conducting  my 
experiments.  H.  W.  S.  C. 

DANVERS,  MASS.,  Nov.  1863. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  L 

SKILL   OF   OLD   ENGLISH   ARCHERS— CAUSES   AND   EFFECTS   OF   IT. 

Improvements  in  firearms.— The  best  effects  of  these  improvements  can  only 
be  secured  for  military  use  by  thorough  discipline.— Necessity  of  reviv- 
ing the  ancient  spirit  of  competition  to  insure  individual  skill. — This  is  to 
be  done  by  organizing  rifle  clubs  and  prize  shooting  matches. — To  ren- 
der them  popular,  influential  persons  must  take  an  active  interest  in 
them,  ........  pp.  7—21 

CHAPTER   II. 

GENERAL    PRINCIPLES   OF   RIFLE    PRACTICE. 

Peculiar  construction  of  the  rifle  barrel  to  which  its  accuracy  is  due. — Dif- 
ferent degrees  of  twist. — Difficulty  of  reconciling  theory  to  practice  so  as 
to  establish  principles. — Line  of  fire,  line  of  sight  and  trajectory. — Dif- 
ferent modes  of  sighting. — Target  shooting  at  different  ranges. — Danger 
of  accidents  in  long  range  shooting.— Every  community  should  have  its 
target  ground  properly  arranged  for  public  use,  .  .  pp.  22—35 

CHAPTER  III. 

THE  TARGET  RIFLE  REDUCED  TO  PRACTICAL  USE. 

Precision  and  force  the  two  most  essential  points  in  a  rifle. — Military  and 
sporting  service  require  them  in  different  degrees.— Description  of  the 
American  Target  Rifle. — Changes  which  must  be  made  to  render  it  fit 
for  active  service. — Effect  of  each  of  those  changes,  and  result  of  the 
whole.— Largo  calibers  for  long  ranges.— Possibility  of  nice  shooting 
with  large  calibers.— Targets  shot  by  Alvah  Merrill.— Match  between 
Merrill  and  Farrington.— Preparation  of  bullets  for  the  Target  Rifle.— 
Upsetting  of  bullets.— Flat-ended  pickets.— Reason  of  their  accuracy.  - 
Belecting  a  gun.— How  to  prove  its  accuracy,  .  .  pp.  36—69 


t>  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER   IV. 

PROJECTILE      FORCE. 

Customary  mode  of  testing  force.— Liability  to  error  from  various  causes.— 
Increase  of  range  does  not  necessarily  follow  from  increased  velocity. 
— Experiment  of  shooting  into  water. — Experiments  by  Robins  showing 
the  resistance  of  the  atmosphere. — Resistance  of  air  within  the  barrel.— 
Experiments  related  by  Greener  and  Maynard.— Atwater's  mode  of 
rifling. — Letter  from  Mr.  Butler,  giving  report  of  experiments  at  "Wash- 
ington with  the  Atwater  gun. — Illustration  of  the  momentum  of  a  rifle 
bullet, pp.  70—89 

CHAPTER   V. 

MERITS   OF   DIFFERENT   CLASSES    OF    GUNS,    METALLIC    CARTRIDGES, 
ETC.,    ETC. 

Difficulty  of  forming  an  opinion  from  the  advertisements  of  manufacturers. 
— Objects  of  most  purchasers  in  procuring  a  rifle.— Standard  of  precision 
for  ordinary  sporting  service.— Different  classes  of  breech-loading  guns. 
— Metallic  cartridges, — their  advantages  and  disadvantages  :  liability  to 
accidental  explosion.- — Repeating  guns. — The  first  successful  application 
of  the  repeating  principle  in  modern  times,  by  Col.  Colt. — Advantages 
and  disadvantages  of  the  repeating  principles,  .  .  pp.  90—111 

CHAPTER  VI. 

DESCRIPTION    OF   RIFLES. 

Sharp's — Merrill's — Ashcroft's — Greene's. — The  Lancaster  system  of  rifling. 
— Maynard's. — Rifles  using  the  self-exploding  metallic  cartridge  :  "Wes- 
son's— Ballard's. — Repeating  rifles  :  Colt's — Spencer's — Henry's. — Eng- 
lish rifles  :  History  of  the  Enfield  rifle— Whitworth— Westley  Richards' 
breech  loader. — Penetration  of  different  rifles. — Comparative  accuracy  of 
rifles,  ...  ....  pp.  112—204 

CHAPTER   VII. 

MT   OWN    CHOICE    OF   A   RIFLE. 

Service  for  which  I  require  a  rifle.— The  most  important  requisites  for  such 
service.— Breech  loaders  for  military  use.— Telescope  rifles  for  those  who 
like  them.— Mode  of  shooting  with  them.— Massachusetts  Rifle  Club  and 
rifles  for  military  drill.— Rifles  for  amateurs.— Care  of  the  rifle.— Pow- 
der. — Casting  bullets. — Aiming  position. — Danger  of  accidents. — Advice 
to  parents  in  regard  to  instructions.— Conclusion,  .  pp.  205—236 


ESSAY  ON  RIFLES.    BY  EDWARD  STABLER,       .  .       pp.  237-260 


HOTS  TO  RIFLEMEN. 


CHAPTEE   I. 

SKILL    OF     ANCIENT     ARCHERS,   AND     SPIRIT     OF    EMULATION 
EXISTING  IN   THEIR   DAY. 

THE  skill  of  the  old  English  archers  is  one  of 
the  many  facts  in  history,  which  everybody  recog- 
nizes as  a  general  proposition,  but  of  the  actual 
power  which  they  wielded  there  is  at  this  day  but 
little  realizing  appreciation. 

We  know,  generally,  that  many  of  the  hardest 
fought  battles  of  those  days  were  won  by  the  power 
and  skill  with  which  they  plied  the  bow,  but  com- 
paratively few  people  are  aware  how  important  a 
part  that  weapon  has  played  in  England's  history, 
or  to  what  an  extent  its  use  was  encouraged  and 
enforced  upon  the  people.  The  social  and  military 
necessities  of  the  present  day  are  so  changed  from 
those  which  existed  five  hundred  years  ago,  that  it 
is  as  difficult  for  us  to  realize  the  feelings  and  inter- 
ests which  then  held  the  most  prominent  place  in 
the  minds  of  the  great  masses  of  the  people,  as  it 


8  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

would  have  been  for  them  to  anticipate  the  day 
when  the  knowledge  of  arms  would  be  looked  upon 
as  a  vain  acquisition,  unworthy  the  thought  or 
attention  of  men  who  aspired  to  distinguished  social 
or  civil  position. 

Our  own  recent  experiences  have  aiforded  suf- 
ficient ground  for  belief  that  in  our  zeal  for  the  pro- 
motion of  the  objects  which  we  now  consider  most 
essential  for  the  advancement  of  civilization  and 
happiness,  we  have  too  much  neglected  the  physical 
training  which  was  then  thought  a  primary  neces- 
sity for  their  preservation.  If  not  enervated  by  the 
prosperity  and  luxury  which  we  have  enjoyed,  we 
have  certainly  lost  that  taste  for  the  skilful  use  of 
arms  which  alone  is  capable  of  imparting  the  indi- 
vidual confidence  of  power,  which  constitutes  the 
vital  strength  of  military  discipline. 

For  a  period  of  five  hundred  years  succeeding 
the  battle  of  Hastings,  which  was  fought  on  the 
14:th  October,  1066,  the  archers  of  England  consti- 
tuted a  National  Guard,  whose  efficiency  was  known 
and  feared  throughout  Europe,  and  the  most  vigilant 
care  was  exercised  by  the  Government  to  maintain 
the  supremacy  they  had  acquired.  Every  able- 
bodied  man  between  the  ages  of  seventeen  and  sixty 
was  obliged,  under  a  severe  penalty,  to  have  a  bow 
of  his  own  length,  and  a  certain  number  of  arrows, 
and  to  practice  habitually  in  shooting  at  the  butts 


HINTS    TO    RIFLEMEN. 

or  targets  which  were  established  in  every  parish, 
at  distances  prescribed  by  law. 

On  holidays  and  festive  occasions,  prize  shoot- 
ing was  always  one  of  the  standard  sports,  and 
every  effort  was  used  to  dignify  and  excite  an 
interest  in  the  attainment  of  an  art  on  which  the 
power  and  even  the  very  existence  of  the  nation 
was  felt  to  be  dependent. 

A  little  reflection  upon  the  obvious  results  of 
such  a  tone  of  public  feeling,  as  compared  with 
those  arising  from  the  prevailing  sentiment  of  the 
present  day,  will  enable  us,  in  some  degree,  to 
realize  the  change  which  has  taken  place,  and  to 
appreciate  the  danger  of  neglecting  so  important  a 
branch  of  popular  education  as  that  of  the  use  of 
arms. 

The  use  of  the  gun  has  been  regarded  by  many 
among  us  as  a  species  of  idle  dissipation,  which  at 
best  could  only  be  looked  upon  as  a  mere  waste  of 
time.  Instead  of  making  it  a  part  of  every  boy's 
education,  and  having  him  instructed  and  drilled 
till  he  became  so  familiar  with  the  weapon  that  no 
danger  was  to  be  apprehended  to  himself  or  others, 
it  has  been  a  forbidden  implement  in  the  house, 
and  he  has  had  no  other  instruction  than  he  could 
gather  for  himself,  perhaps  by  stealth ;  for  what- 
ever may  be  the  explanation,  the  fact  cannot  be 
denied,  that  a  craving  for  its  use  is  one  of  the 
1* 


10  HINTS   TO   EIFLEMEN. 

strongest  instincts  of  a  boy's  nature,  and  with  many 
it  is  so  strong  as  to  be  irresistible.  As  a  natural 
consequence,  the  few  whose  innate  taste  for  it  was 
strong  enough  to  resist  the  tyranny  of  public 
opinion,  have  been  tolerated  rather  than  en- 
couraged, and  in  very  many  instances  have  been 
driven  by  the  force  of  that  opinion  into  habits  of 
dissipation  which  had  no  natural  connection  with 
the  manly  and  health-giving  art  which  might  and 
ought  to  have  been  made  the  means  of  preserving 
them  from  such  evils,  if  they  had  been  encouraged 
to  a  rational  indulgence  of  the  honest  instincts  of 
their  nature. 

The  day  came  at  length  that  warriors  were 
needed,  and  a  zealous  army  stepped  forth,  animated 
by  the  noblest  motives ;  but  when  it  came  to  be 
organized,  in  thousands  of  instances  the  men  who 
were  selected  as  officers  because  of  their  knowledge 
of  the  use  of  arms,  were  found  to  possess  no  moral 
character,  while  the  rants  were  filled  with  exem- 
plary graduates  of  our  free  schools  and  colleges, 
who  had  not  only  never  fired  a  gun  in  their  lives, 
but  had  been  brought  up  in  a  wholesome  fear  of 
gunpowder,  hardly  conducive  to  the  most  fitting 
frame  of  mind  for  the  battle  field,  or  the  achieve- 
ment of  deeds  of  chivalrous  daring. 

If  the  reader  will  now  picture  to  himself  how 
different  would  have  been  our  situation  had  the  old 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  11 

laws  and  customs  prevailed,  when  every  man  was 
trained  to  the  familiar  use  of  his  weapon,  and  the 
attainment  of  the  greatest  possible  perfection  was 
stimulated  by  the  prospect  of  public  honor,  and  a 
certainty  of  the  most  vigorous  competition,  he  can 
hardly  fail  to  acknowledge  that  we  have  at  least 
been  guilty  of  a  grievous  sin  of  omission  in  suffer- 
ing such  a  change  to  come  upon  us. 

The  fact,  however,  seems  generally  to  have 
escaped  observation  that  the  spirit  of  emulation 
which  existed  in  the  days  of  archery  was  in  a  great 
measure  owing  to  the  character  of  the  weapon 
itself,  whose  efficiency  was  so  largely  dependent 
upon  the  strength  and  skill  of  the  one  who  used  it, 
as  to  furnish  a  never  failing  incentive  to  exertion 
in  perfecting  himself  in  its  use  by  constant  practice. 

With  the  invention  of  gunpowder,  whose  pro- 
jectile force  is  entirely  independent  of  the  strength 
of  the  shooter,  while  the  weapons  in  which  it  was 
first  used  afforded  little  scope  for  the  display  of 
superior  skill,  the  archery  meetings  and  prize  shoot- 
ings, which  for  so  long  a  time  had  formed  an  im- 
portant feature  of  the  life  and  education  of  the 
people,  passed  into  disuse  except  as  a  mere  sport. 

For  the  last  two  centuries  the  English  soldier 
has  been  a  mere  hireling,  armed  with  a  weapon 
possessed  of  no  responsive  power  to  the  exertion  of 
skill  in  its  use,  which  should  lead  to  a  feeling  of 


12  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

reliance,  amounting  almost  to  affection  on  the  part 
of  its  owner,  but  whose  execution  could  only  be 
estimated  in  the  aggregate,  and  of  course  afforded 
no  evidence  of  individual  skill  or  prowess.  The 
improvements  which  have  been  made  in  our  own 
day,  however,  in  the  construction  of  the  rifle,  have 
wrought  a  revolution  in  the  use  of  arms,  which  bids 
fair  to  awaken  a  popular  spirit  not  at  all  inferior  to 
that  of  the  days  of  archery,  with  the  substitution  of 
a  weapon,  whose  amazing  power  and  efficiency,  as 
well  as  its  wonderful  precision,  and  the  readiness 
with  which  it  seems  to  acknowledge  its  obedience 
to  the  will  of  a  skilful  manager,  constitute  such  an 
arm  as  has  never  before  been  wielded  in  the  strug- 
gles between  right  and  might,  which  comprise  so 
large  a  portion  of  the  world's  history.  The  day  is 
past  when  battles  could  be  won  with  so  feeble  a 
weapon  as  the  smooth-bored  musket,  and  the  Gov- 
ernments of  Europe  have  awakened  to  the  fact  that 
the  element  of  individual  skill  must  again  become 
an  essential  ingredient  in  the  composition  of  an 
army. 

The  response  of  the  200,000  volunteers  who 
have  enrolled  themselves  in  Rifle  Clubs  throughout 
England,  and  the  revival  of  shooting  matches,  sus- 
tained and  animated  by  royal  patronage,  proves 
that  the  ancient  spirit  of  her  people  has  lost  none 


HINTS    TO    RIFLEMEN.  13 

of  the  vigor  it  possessed  in  the  days  of  bows  and 
cloth  yard  shafts. 

Since  the  commencement  of  the  struggle  in 
which  we  have  now  been  engaged  for  two  years, 
the  attention  of  our  best  mechanics  has  been  very 
generally  directed  to  the  subject  of  fire  arms,  and 
many  very  valuable  improvements  have  resulted 
from  their  efforts,  some  of  which  have  already  been 
largely  introduced,  while  others  of  real  and  sub- 
stantial merit,  owing  to  the  difficulty  of  starting  a 
new  manufacture,  requiring  a  large  capital,  have 
never  got  beyond  the  production  of  a  model. 

Some  of  these  inventions  derive  their  value  from 
the  discovery  and  application  of  new  principles, 
developing  powers  previously  unknown,  but  by  far 
the  greater  part  are  merely  mechanical  arrange- 
ments for  facilitating  the  manipulations  and  opera- 
tions, on  whose  simplicity  and  ease  of  performance 
the  efficiency  of  the  weapon  must  in  a  great 
measure  depend. 

The  subject  of  improvements  in  fire  arms,  how- 
ever, when  examined  in  reference  to  their  military 
use,  involves  the  consideration  of  a  great  many 
points  which  are  matters  of  indifference  to  the 
sportsman  or  amateur  rifleman.  For  the  use  of 
troops  of  the  line  on  the  field  of  battle,  the  Spring- 
field and  Enfield  rifles  comprise,  perhaps,  all  that 
is  necessary  in  point  of  range  and  precision. 


14  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

In  the  dust  and  smoke  of  a  battle  field,  it  is 
rare  that  an  opportunity  occurs  to  select  an  object 
to  aim  at,  and  the  fire  is  for  the  most  part  delivered 
at  random.  Yet  occasions  may  arise  when  a 
greater  degree  of  precision  may  be  exceedingly 
desirable,  but  unless  the  troops  have  been  trained 
as  marksmen,  it  is  of  no  avail  to  provide  them  with 
weapons  whose  efficiency  is  dependent  upon  the 
skill  of  the  shooter  quite  as  much  as  upon  the  per- 
fection of  the  gun.  The  object  of  almost  all  the 
recent  improvements  has  been  to  facilitate  the 
operation  of  loading,  in  order  to  enable  the  soldier 
to  deliver  his  shots  in  rapid  succession,  at  the  criti- 
cal moment,  when  such  power  may  be  the  means 
of  deciding  the  crisis  of  a  fight,  and  also  to  relieve 
him  from  the  exposure  incident  to  the  awkward 
process  of  drawing  and  returning  the  ramrod  and 
ramming  the  cartridge.  Desirable  as  these  objects 
may  be,  however,  their  attainment  is  fraught  with 
evils  which  more  than  counterbalance  the  benefits 
accruing  from  them,  unless  the  troops  are  thorough- 
ly drilled  in  their  use,  and  under  such  discipline  as 
to  leave  no  room  for  apprehension  that  they  will 
misuse  their  advantages.  The  waste  of  ammunition 
from  rapid  firing,  is  even  now  a  constant  cause  of 
complaint,  and  obviously  a  just  one,  as  may  be  seen 
by  the  small  amount  of  injury  inflicted  in  propor- 
tion to  the  number  of  shots  which  are  fired.  Sixty 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  15 

rounds  of  ammunition  is  as  much  as  a  soldier  can 
carry  into  the  field,  and  with  many  of  the  breech 
loading  guns  these  might  be  all  deliberately  fired 
in  fifteen  minutes.  It  is  obvious,  therefore,  that 
unless  they  were  placed  in  the  hands  of  properly 
trained  troops,  a  second  army  would  be  required  to 
supply  the  first  with  ammunition.  But  it  is  equally 
obvious  that  if  so  trained,  the  troops  which  were 
thus  armed  would  possess  an  inestimable  advantage 
over  opponents  who  were  provided  only  with  muz- 
zle loaders. 

The  remedy,  therefore,  seems  to  lie  in  more  per- 
fect discipline.  Perhaps  it  might  act  as  a  stimulus 
upon  the  troops,  to  make  the  possession  of  breech 
loading  arms  a  reward  for  good  behavior  on  the 
field,  giving  them  only  to  such  regiments  as  had 
proved  their  efficiency  and  courage  beyond  all 
doubt. 

The  argument  against  them  proves  only  that 
the  soldier  has  not  been  taught  the  first  principles 
on  which  his  efficiency  depends,  and  without  which 
no  degree  of  perfection  he  may  have  obtained  in  the 
other  parts  of  his  drill  will  be  of  any  avail,  for  the 
grand  object  of  discipline  is  to  place  him  in  the 
field  in  such  a  position  that  he  may  use  his  weapon 
with  effect,  and  if  he  does  not  know  how  to  use  it, 
the  object  for  which  he  is  sent  into  the  field  is 
defeated.  But  such  knowledge  implies  much  more 


16  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

than  merely  knowing  how  to  load  and  fire,  and 
until  soldiers  are  thoroughly  instructed  in  target 
shooting,  and  so  well  disciplined  as  to  be  easily 
kept  in  hand  by  their  officers,  it  may  as  well  be 
conceded  that  little  or  nothing  will  be  gained  by 
arming  them  with  weapons  whose  superiority  would 
give  them  an  incalculable  advantage  if  they  were 
capable  of  improving  it.  I  am  persuaded  that  very 
great  misapprehension  prevails  in  regard  to  the 
kind  of  education  required  by  the  soldier  to  be  of 
any  practical  value  in  actual  service. 

I  have  been  assured  repeatedly,  by  officers  who 
have  taken  very  great  pains  in  training  their  men 
beforehand,  that  the  only  men  who  were  to  be  relied 
on,  were  those  whose  long  familiarity  with  the  use 
of  the  gun  was  such  that  they  instinctively  held  and 
pointed  it  in  the  right  direction,  while  those  who 
had  had  only  such  instruction  as  the  soldier  receives, 
in  estimating  distance,  arranging  sights,  &c.,  were 
often  seen  in  action  firing  into  the  ground,  or  into 
the  air,  quite  unconscious  of  what  they  were  doing. 
The  fact  that  for  the  most  part  no  enemy  can  be 
seen,  and  the  fire  can  only  be  directed  at  the  flashes 
of  the  guns,  proves  the  absurdity  of  supposing  that 
nice  marksmanship  can  be  of  any  avail  in  a  general 
engagement ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  it  is  only  by 
the  intuitive  skill  in  handling  the  weapon  which 
comes  of  long  practice  in  hunting  and  target  shoot- 


HINTS   TO   KIFLEMEN.  17 

ing,  that  one  acquires  the  power  of  giving  such 
general  precision  to  his  fire  at  such  a  time  as  will 
prevent  its  being  utterly  thrown  away,  or  even 
directed  upon  his  fellow  soldiers.  Such  skill  is 
not  to  be  attained  by  the  man  who  has  never  before 
fired  a  gun  by  simply  being  subjected  to  a  course 
of  military  drill  and  target  practice.  Yet  I  would 
not  be  understood  as  undervaluing  such  discipline. 
*I  fully  recognize  its  importance,  but  it  cannot  con- 
fer the  confidence  of  individual  power  which  is  felt 
by  the  man  whose  weapon  comes  to  its  place  with 
the  instinctive  ease  which  can  only  result  from  long 
familiarity.  Discipline  confers  the  confidence  of 
power  derived  from  the  best  possible  mechanical 
arrangement  of  the  masses  whose  united  strength  is 
relied  on  to  accomplish  the  desired  object ;  but 
individual  skill  gives  to  each  of  the  units  composing 
those  masses  the  self  confidence  which  in  fact  con- 
stitutes their  strength. 

No  one  at  this  day  will  deny  the  probability 
that  henceforth  a  powerful  military  organization 
must  be  one  of  the  necessities  of  our  national  ex- 
istence, and  whether  or  no  our  liberty  is  to  be 
maintained,  is  dependent  upon  whether  such 
organization  be  in  the  form  of  a  standing  army  to 
whom  we  confide  the  power  of  guarding  us  from 
invasion  and  putting  down  rebellion,  or  a  national 
guard,  of  which  every  citizen  is  a  member,  and 


18  HINTS   TO   KIFLEMEN. 

liable  to  service  on  approach  of  danger.  If  we 
would  avoid  the  necessity  of  the  former,  we  must 
adopt  the  latter  arrangement.  It  is  not  for  me  to 
suggest  plans  for  military  organizations,  of  which  I 
know  only  enough  to  enable  me  to  appreciate  my 
own  ignorance,  but  the  essential  point  on  which 
military  efficiency  must  depend  in  the  hour  of  trial, 
consists  in  such  familiarity  with  the  use  of  arms  as 
the  civilian  may  attain  without  the  necessity  of 
military  drill,  and  which  once  acquired,  will  give 
him  such  confidence  of  power  as  no  mere  drilling 
can  inspire. 

It  is,  therefore,  as  a  means  of  increasing  our 
national  strength,  by  having  in  every  community  a 
large  body  of  men  who  may  at  any  time  be  con- 
verted into  efficient  troops,  that  it  is  desirable  to 
inspire  a  popular  taste  for  the  use  of  the  rifle  ;  the 
most  formidable  weapon  which  has  ever  yet  been 
placed  in  the  hands  of  the  soldier,  and  on  which  we 
must  mainly  rely  for  the  performance  of  the  work 
of  war. 

In  order  to  encourage  the  growth  of  such  a 
taste,  it  is  not  enough  to  leave  it  to  those  only  who 
are  under  military  instruction.  We  must  organize 
Rifle  Clubs  for  target  practice,  and  excite  a  spirit 
of  emulation  by  the  stimulus  of  public  shooting 
matches  for  prizes.  It  is  of  primary  necessity  to  do 
away  at  once  with  the  feeling  which  has  heretofore 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  19 

prevailed,  that  the  use  of  the  rifle  is  at  best  but  an 
idle  accomplishment,  whose  attainment  afforded 
prima  facie  evidence  of  a  tendency  to  dissipation. 
The  encouragement  which  of  late  years  has  been 
given  to  physical  training  will  go  far  to  aid  in 
abolishing  this  prejudice.  The  use  of  the  rifle  in- 
volves the  necessity  of  muscular  exercise  in  the 
open  air,  and  possesses  at  the  same  time  an  intrinsic 
interest  which  will  admit  no  flagging  of  the  zest 
which  accompanies  its  performance.  And  when  in 
addition  to  this  it  "is  considered  that  it  affords  a 
ready  and  vitally  important  means  of  adding  to  our 
national  strength,  it  may  justly  be  regarded  as  the 
most  desirable  method  of  securing  the  benefits  of 
physical  education. 

It  is  but  a  few  years  since  we  were  accustomed 
to  speak  of  the  English  as  deficient  in  knowledge 
of  the  use  of  arms,  and  a  great  deal  of  wit  was 
expended  upon  the  first  attempts  in  that  country  to 
convert  shopkeepers  into  riflemen.  But  in  spite  of 
ridicule  and  determined  opposition  on  the  part  of 
some  who  were  fearful  of  trusting  the  people  with 
their  own  guardianship,  the  thing  has  been  done, 
and  that  so  thoroughly  that  all  the  world  knows 
and  feels  that  England  of  to-day  compares  with 
England  of  ten  years  ago  as  a  man  in  armor  and 
familiar  with  his  weapons  compares  with  the  same 
man  in  a  frock  behind  the  plough.  It  is  not  the 


20  HINTS    TO    RIFLEMEN. 

increase  of  her  army  and  navy  which  conveys  this 
feeling  to  the  minds  of  her  neighbors,  but  the  con- 
viction that  they  are  but  the  outward  manifestation 
of  a  power  pervading  the  whole  nation.  The  edge 
of  the  sword  is  sharp,  and  it  is  seen  that  the  whole 
blade  is  of  the  same  temper  of  steel. 

But  this  has  not  been  brought  about  by  merely 
drilling  the  men  who  wrere  or  might  be  soldiers. 
A  very  large  portion  of  those  who  have  taken  an 
active  part  in  promoting  the  interest  in  the  "  rifle 
movement,"  are  persons  who  would  never  expect 
or  be  expected  to  render  active  service  in  the  field, 
but  it  is  only  by  the  active  participation  of  such 
persons,  that  those  whom  it  is  really  important  to 
instruct  can  be  led  to  take  an  interest  in  it.  In 
short,  it  is  only  by  acting  upon  the  imitative  pro- 
pensity, or  in  other  words  by  making  it  fashionable, 
that  any  such  general  movement  can  be  accom- 
plished. 

A  great  deal  of  sport  was  indulged  in  by  the 
newspapers  on  the  occasion  of  the  Queen  of  Eng- 
land firing  a  shot  at  the  target  with  a  rifle  which 
had  previously  been  pointed  for  her  ;  but  in  reality 
it  was  one  of  the  best  shots  that  ever  was  made. 
It  went  straight  to  the  heart  of  every  Englishman, 
and  impressed  him  with  the  conviction  that  this 
was  the  form  in  which  he  must  prove  his  loyalty. 

The  same  effect  will  be  produced  with  us  when 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  21 

the  same  springs  are  touched.  It  will  not  suffice 
for  the  leaders  of  public  opinion  to  tell  the  people 
to  set  about  the  work.  They  must  begin  it  them- 
selves in  every  community,  and  say  by  example  as 
well  as  precept :  "  This  is  what  every  man  must  do 
who  would  contribute  to  the  national  strength." 
And  the  appeal  will  be  answered  with  willing 
hearts  and  hands,  and  in  the  day  of  need  it  will  be 
found  that  we  have  the  elements  of  power  in  our 
own  hands  instead  of  having  to  create  it  at  a  ruinous 
expense. 

And  we  may  rest  assured  that  the  other  civilized 
nations  of  the  earth  are  fully  awake  to  the  impor- 
tance of  popular  education  in  the  use  of  arms,  and 
unless  we  also  recognize  and  act  upon  the  fact  that 
the  day  has  come  round  again  when  individual 
skill  constitutes  a  vitally  important  element  of  mili- 
tary education,  we  shall  some  day  pay  dearly  for 
being  taught  the  lesson  in  the  field. 


CHAPTEK   II. 

GENERAL  PRINCIPLES  OP  RIFLE  PRACTICE. 

THE  peculiar  construction  of  rifled  guns  which 
gives  them  their  superior  accuracy,  can  be  better 
understood  by  looking  through  the  barrel  of  a  rifle, 
than  by  any  description  ;  and  as  this  may  be  done 
with  almost  any  of  the  breech-loaders,  which  are 
now  to  be  found  in  every  gunshop,  I  will  ask  my 
reader  to  be  kind  enough  (if  he  has  never  seen  the 
inside  of  a  rifled  barrel)  to  take  the  first  opportunity 
of  making  such  inspection.  He  will  perceive  that 
the  tube  of  highly  polished  steel  through  which  he 
is  looking,  is  cut  with  a  number  of  shallow  grooves, 
running  through  its  whole  length,  and  turning  from 
right  to  left,  or  from  left  to  right,  with  a  greater  or 
less  degree  of  twist,  and  he  will  comprehend  at 
once  that  the  bullet,  being  made  to  fit  exactly  in 
these  grooves,  must  acquire  a  spinning  motion  on 
its  axis,  which  will  be  continued  in  its  flight  through 
the  air. 

The  accuracy  of  shooting  which  is   attainable 


HINTS   TO   RIFLKMEN.  23 

with  the  rifle,  is  due  solely  to  this  motion,  which 
neutralizes  the  effect  of  any  inequalities  of  surface 
or  weight  in  the  bullet,  by  bringing  them  in  rapid 
succession  to  the  same  point  of  bearing  upon  the 
atmosphere.  The  manner  of  cutting  the  grooves, 
and  the  degree  of  twist  given  to  them,  have  been 
the  subjects  of  a  very  great  variety  of  experiments, 
and  much  diversity  of  opinion  still  prevails  among 
riflemen  and  rifle  makers  in  regard  to  the  details  of 
construction. 

John  R.  Chapman,  whose  treatise  on  the  "  Im- 
proved American  Rifle,"  published  in  1848,  is  the 
most  thoroughly  practical  and  satisfactory  work  on 
the  subject  that  I  have  met  with,  lays  down  the 
following  principle  :  "  It  is  obvious  that  the  proper 
degree  of  twist  is  the  great  point  to  be  obtained ; 
for  it  is  evident  that  too  little  will  not  spin  the 
bullet  sufficiently  quick  to  equilibrate  its  form  and 
irregularities,  and  it  will  soon  cease  to  fly  true ; 
whereas  too  much  will  produce  too  much  friction  in 
the  barrel,  and  in  the  course  of  the  flight  of  the 
bullet  also,  by  presenting  its  surface  in  too  quick 
succession  to  the  action  of  the  atmosphere ;  conse- 
quently, whatever  degree  of  twist  is  given  to  the 
bullet  more  than  is  requisite  for  its  true  flight, 
necessarily  retards  its  motion,  and  is  so  much  power 
or  powder  actually  thrown  away." 

He  then  gives  different  calibers  and  degrees  of 


24  HINTS   TO    RIFLEMEN. 

twist,  deduced  from  his  own  experience,  as  the  best 
for  different  ranges,  increasing  the  caliber  and  the 
degree  of  twist  for  long-range  shooting.  He  advo- 
cates the  gaining  twist  under  all  circumstances,  and 
a  twist  ending  with  one  turn  in  three  feet  is  the 
shortest  recommended  by  him  for  any  range. 

General  Jacobs,  who  probably  expended  more 
time,  labor  and  money  in  experiments  with  rifled 
guns  than  any  other  man  ever  did,  found  that  with 
balls  cast  with  projections  to  fit  the  grooves,  the 
twist  could  be  increased  to  any  extent  without 
danger  of  stripping.  He  gave  his  guns,  therefore, 
one  complete  turn  in  thirty  inches,  but  afterward 
found  that  the  amount  of  twist  should  be  propor- 
tionate to  the  length  of  the  barrel,  and  four  fifths 
of  a  turn  in  that  length  is  about  the  best  for  all 
purposes. 

The  gaining  twist  is  considered  by  our  best  rifle- 
men to  be  absolutely  essential  to  the  attainment  of 
the  greatest  possible  degree  of  perfection  of  shoot- 
ing. In  this  method  of  rifling,  the  grooves  start 
from  the  breech  with  only  a  slight  twist,  which 
gains  more  and  more  of  a  spiral  form  as  it  proceeds, 
and  ends  with  whatever  degree  it  is  desired  to  im- 
part to  the  bullet.  It  is  obvious  that  this  is  an  ap- 
plication of  the  same  principle  by  which  the  wedge 
attains  its  power,  and  there  can  be  no  doubt  of  its 
value  under  certain  circumstances,  yet  its  effect  is 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  25 

denied,  and  the  principle  derided  by  most  of  the 
foreign  writers  on  the  subject.  As  I  shall  consider 
the  reasons  for  this  difference  of  opinion,  in  treat- 
ing of  the  American  Target  Eifle,  I  will  only  ex- 
press my  conviction  here,  that  it  is  like  the  famous 
dispute  concerning  the  gold  and  silver  shield,  in 
which  both  parties  were  right. 

It  would  seem  as  if  there  were  no  study  involv- 
ing so  much  difficulty  in  reconciling  theory  to  prac- 
tice, as  in  that  of  rifled  guns  and  their  projectiles, 
and  we  find  continually  that  principles  which  we 
have  considered  so  firmly  established  by  one  series 
of  experiments,  that  we  may  safely  rest  upon  them 
as  foundations  for  future  theories,  are  completely 
knocked  from  under  us  by  some  new  and  unex- 
pected revelation. 

Thus  it  would  seem  to  be  a  self-evident  proposi- 
tion, that  a  sharp  twist  of  the  grooves,  Causing 
enormous  friction  by  the  tendency  which  the  bullet 
must  have  to  drive  straight  out  across  their  threads, 
must  materially  affect  its  velocity  and  consequent 
force  or  range.  It  has,  accordingly,  long  been  con- 
sidered a  settled  principle,  that  the  degree  of  twist 
ought  to  be  as  slight  as  possible,  consistently  with 
the  attainment  of  the  object  of  keeping  the  bullet 
spinning  to  the  end  of  its  flight,  and  this  has  varied 
according  to  size,  shape  and  weight  of  bullet 
between  the  rates  of  one  turn  in  three  or  one  in 


26  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

four  feet.  To  one  who  has  not  reflected  upon  the 
subject,  this  would  not  seem  a  very  sharp  twist,  but 
if  he  will  stand  near  a  target  when  a  bullet  is  fired 
at  it  from  the  distance  of  100  yards,  he  will  per- 
ceive that  there  is  not  an  appreciable  interval  of 
time  between  the  report  of  the  gun  and  the  passage 
of  the  bullet  through  the  target ;  yet  with  a  twist 
of  one  turn  in  three  feet,  it  must  have  made  100 
revolutions  upon  its  axis  in  that  small  fraction  of  a 
second,  and  he  may  thus  form  a  conception  of  the 
friction  it  must  encounter  during  the  hundredth  part 
of  that  fraction  occupied  by  its  passage  through  the 
barrel. 

And  yet  we  find  that  the  gun  which  imparts  the 
greatest  velocity  and  force  to  its  projectile  of  which 
we  have  any  account,  is  the  Whitworth,  which 
makes  a  complete  turn  in  twenty  inches  ! 

Again — it  has  long  been  received  as  an  axiom 
in  gunnery,  that  in  order  to  secure  the  full  power 
of  the  expanding  gas  created  by  the  explosion  of 
the  powder,  it  was  necessary  that  the  bullet  should 
completely  fill  the  caliber,  and  the  astonishing 
results  attained  by  the  use  of  the  minie  bullet  were 
owing  to  its  perfect  fulfilment  of  this  condition. 
But  it  is  now  ascertained  that  this  is  true  only  at 
the  outset  of  its  course,  and  that  when  it  has 
reached  a  certain  point  in  the  barrel,  its  velocity  or 
power  of  penetration  becomes  greatly  increased  by 


HINTS   TO   KIFLEMEN.  27 

cutting  out  the  alternate  lands,  so  as  to  leave  open 
spaces  between  the  bullet  and  the  barrel,  and  thus 
relieve  the  pressure  of  the  column  of  air  in  front. 
In  the  study  of  the  rifle,  such  experiences  as  these 
are  of  so  frequent  occurrence  that  I  have  invariably 
found  that  the  men  who  have  experimented  most 
freely  with  it  are  the  ones  who  have  the  least  con- 
fidence in  theories,  and  are  most  shy  of  laying  down 
principles  as  established  beyond  question. 

There  are,  however,  certain  laws  to  which  all 
projectiles  are  subject,  which  it  is  vitally  important 
that  every  man  should  know  who  attempts  the 
practice  of  gunnery. 

If  a  ball  when  shot  from  a  gun  proceeded 
directly  on  the  course  in  which  the  gun  was  pointed, 
so  as  to  produce  simply  a  prolongation  of  the  line 
of  the  axis  of  the  barrel,  nothing  more  would  be 
necessary  to  insure  the  hitting  of  an  object  than  to 
point  the  gun  directly  at  it.  In  rifled  guns  the 
tendency  to  lateral  variations  is  rendered  compara- 
tively trifling  by  the  spinning  motion  imparted  to 
the  bullet,  as  I  have  already  explained.  Gravita- 
tion and  atmospheric  resistance,  however,  are  con- 
stantly acting  upon  it;  the  former  drawing  it 
toward  the  earth  with  constantly  increasing  effect 
as  its  velocity  is  diminished  by  the  action  of  the 
latter. 

In  its  course,  therefore,  it  describes  precisely 


28 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 


such  a  curve  as  is  seen  in  a  stream  of  water  thrown 
from  the  nozzle  of  a  hose.  From  this  it  results 
that,  in  order  to  hit  any  point 
within  its  range,  it  is  necessary 
to  direct  the  line  of  fire  just  so 
far  above  that  point,  as  the  tra- 
jectory or  curved  line  described 
by  the  bullet  would  fall  below 
it  if  aimed  directly  at  it — as  is 
shown  in  this  figure,  which  rep- 
resents the  principle  accurately, 
though  it  must  be  borne  in  mind 
that  it  is  impossible,  in  a  draw- 
ing of  small  size,  to  give  even 
an  approach  to  accurate  propor- 
tions. 

The  point  at  which  the  trajec- 
tory intersects  the  line  of  sight, 
is  called  the  "  point  blank,"  and 
may  be  varied  by  elevating  or 
depressing  the  after  sight,  which, 
as  may  be  seen,  would  alter  the 
angle  of  elevation  of  the  gun, 
and  with  it  that  of  the  line  of 
fire  which  is  the  prolongation 
of  its  axis. 

Various  modes  of  sighting  the  rifle  have  been 
adopted,  which  have  their  several  advantages,  de- 


HINTS   TO   KIFLEMEN.  29 

pendent  upon  the  circumstances  under  which  they 
are  to  be  used,  the  object  in  all  being  the  attain- 
ment of  the  utmost  precision  in  directing  the  gun 
to  the  point  to  be  shot  at. 

The  telescope  sight  is  only  used  upon  very 
heavy  rifles,  to  be  fired  from  a  dead  rest.  It  con- 
sists of  a  telescope  extending  the  whole  length  of 
the  barrel,  and  furnished  with  cross  threads  like 
those  of  a  theodolite,  by  means  of  which  the  aim 
may  be  fixed  with  mathematical  certainty  upon  an 
object  so  small  and  at  such  a  distance  as  to  be  in- 
visible to  the  naked  eye.  It  is  elevated  or  depressed 
by  means  of  a  screw  at  the  end  nearest  the  breech, 
and  gives  a  power  of  directing  the  course  of  the 
shot,  which  is  utterly  unattainable  by  other  means, 
but  which  of  course  can  only  be  adopted  in  a  ve;ry 
limited  degree  for  military  service,  and  is  useless 
to  the  sportsman.  The  "  globe  and  peep  "  sights, 
consists  of  a  small  metallic  disc,  pierced  with  a  very 
minute  aperture,  and  fixed  upon  the  stock  of  the 
gun  by  a  screw  or  slide,  by  which  it  may  be  raised 
or  lowered,  and  a  bead  or  globe,  upon  the  point  of 
a  slender  steel  wire  on  the  barrel  just  over  the 
muzzle,  protected  by  a  cylinder  of  steel,  in  which  it 
is  inclosed.  The  bead  is  sighted  through  the  pin 
hole  of  the  back  sight,  and  being  brought  in  line 
with  the  target,  affords  a  very  perfect  means  of 
directing  the  shot.  But  even  this  is  too  delicate  an 


30  HINTS   TO   EIFLEMEN. 

arrangement  for  field  service,  and  is  rarely  used 
except  for  target  shooting,  though  commonly  fur- 
nished with  the  equipments  of  a  thoroughly  finished 
rifle,  to  be  made  use  of  when  required. 

The  most  common  arrangement  consists  of  a 
bead  or  "  knife  edge,"  of  bright  metal,  fixed  on  the 
top  of  the  barrel  just  over  the  muzzle,  and  called 
the  "  foresight,"  and  an  "  aftersight,"  or  "  guide 
sight,"  near  the  breech,  which  is  constructed  with 
a  notch  like  the  letter  Y,  through  which  the  fore- 
sight must  be  aligned  with  the  target.  If  these 
sights  are  properly  arranged  so  as  to  be  in  the  same 
vertical  plane  with  the  axis  of  the  barrel,  the  line 
of  sight  drawn  through  them  should  coincide  pre- 
cisely with  that  of  the  flight  of  the  bullet,  except  so 
far  as  the  latter  is  affected  by  external  influences. 
It  is  rare,  however,  that  the  sights  are  arranged 
with  perfect  accuracy,  as  they  come  from  the  gun- 
maker's  shop,  but  the  error  may  be  detected  by  a 
few  experiments,  and  rectified  by  moving  the  fore- 
sight a  little  to  one  side  or  the  other, — as  it  is  com- 
monly fixed  upon  a  plate  which  is  movable  in  a 
slot  cut  across  the  barrel. 

The  aftersight  being  so  arranged  that  it  may  be 
raised  or  lowered,  the  proper  degree  of  elevation  of 
the  line  of  fire  for  any  distance  within  the  range  of 
the  piece  may  be  given,  and  the  line  of  sight  still 
directed  exactly  at  the  target.  In  order,  however, 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  31 

to  render  this  power  practically  useful,  it  is  neces- 
sary that  the  degrees  of  elevation  for  different  dis- 
tances be  ascertained  by  actual  trial,  and  marked 
upon  the  slide  or  screw  of  the  sight,  and  also  that 
the  shooter  should  acquire  the  power  of  estimating 
distance  by  the  eye,  so  that  he  may  be  able  to  tell 
by  a  glance  at  the  object  at  which  he  wishes  to 
shoot,  the  degree  of  elevation  required.  And  the 
longer  the  range  the  more  important  it  becomes  to 
estimate  exactly  the  distance,  because  at  the  end  of 
a  long  flight  the  bullet  is  falling  more  rapidly,  and 
describing  a  much  shorter  curve  than  at  the  begin- 
ning, and  consequently  the  probability  is  much 
greater,  either  that  it  will  fall  short,  or  overshoot  its 
mark  than  when  it  is  moving  more  nearly  in  a  hori- 
zontal direction.  Another  cause  of  difficulty  in 
shooting  accurately  at  long  ranges  is,  the  much 
greater  variation  which  is  given  to  the  line  of  fire 
by  a  very  slight  inclination  of  the  gun  to  one  side 
or  the  other,  owing  to  the  increased  elevation  of 
the  aftersight,  which  thus  becomes  the  radius  of  a 
much  larger  circle.  If  it  is  not  held  perfectly  true, 
therefore,  or  perpendicular  to  the  horizon,  the  line 
of  sight  is  no  longer  in  the  same  vertical  plane  with 
the  axis  of  the  barrel,  and  the  line  of  fire,  instead 
of  being  merely  elevated,  is  directed  to  one  side, 
and  however  slight  the  variation,  it  becomes  im- 
portant in  a  long  range. 


32  HINTS  TO   RIFLEMEN. 

Target  shooting  affords  the  only  reliable  means 
of  attaining  the  art  of  using  the  rifle  skilfully,  and 
it  ought  to  be  commenced  under  an  instructor,  and 
after  careful  training  in  position  and  aiming  drill. 
It  is  very  common  to  hear  from  men  who  have 
made  but  little  use  of  the  rifle,  an  account  of  some 
extraordinary  shot  they  have  made  which  astonished 
everybody — themselves  included ;  but  single  shots 
prove  nothing,  and  no  experienced  rifleman  would 
cite  them  as  proofs  of  skill,  but  only  as  curiosities, 
though  in  fact  they  often  serve  to  establish  a  man's 
reputation. 

Some  twenty-five  years  ago  I  spent  part  of  a 
winter  in  a  lumber  camp  on  the  Penobscot,  and 
one  day  killed  a  partridge  at  an  extraordinary  dis- 
tance, a  shot  which  I  knew  very  well  I  might  not 
have  been  able  to  repeat  in  fifty  times  firing.  But 
that  shot  was  told  of  among  the  lumbermen,  far 
and  near,  as  a  proof  of  my  skill,  and  a  friend  of 
mine  told  me  he  heard  it  recounted  years  afterward 
in  a  lumber  camp,  as  a  sample  of  Kentucky  skill, 
the  fact  that  I  had  a  Kentucky  rifle  being  taken  as 
evidence  that  I  was  a  Kentuckian.  In  those  days, 
rifles  were  almost  unknown  in  Maine,  the  lumber- 
men being  generally  provided  with  short  shotguns, 
in  which  they  fired  buckshot  or  a  single  ball,  the 
thick  woods  rendering  it  almost  impossible  ever  to 
shoot  at  a  long  range ;  besides  this,  the  barbarous 


HINTS   TO   BIFLEMEN.  33 

praptice  prevailed  of  hunting  deer  in  deep  and 
crusted  snow,  when  the  poor  creatures  could  not 
escape,  and  were  butchered  at  close  quarters. 

The  relative  powers  of  shooters  can  only  be 
proved  by  the  average  distance  from  the  centre  of 
a  series  of  shots  fired  at  a  measured  distance,  and 
under  the  same  circumstances  of  wind  and  weather, 
which  exert  an  important  influence,  and  demand  a 
constant  exercise  of  judgment.  In  a  dry,  hot  day, 
the  powder  burns  much  more  quickly,  and  conse- 
quently with  more  explosive  power  than  on  a  cold, 
damp  day,  and  the  balls  will  hold  up  better  in  con- 
sequence. 

Every  gun,  too,  has  its  own  characteristics,  and 
it  is  the  business  of  the  owner  to  study  its  peculiari- 
ties, and  the  circumstances  which  affect  its  shooting, 
and  be  ready  at  all  times  to  adapt  himself  to  them. 
The  first  thing  he  has  to  do  even  before  purchasing 
a  gun,  is  to  make  sure  that  its  capacity  for  accuracy 
is  sufficient  for  his  wants  ;  for  until  he  knows  that 
the  gun  is  reliable,  he  can  never  ascertain  whether 
a  miss  is  to  be  ascribed  to  the  fault  of  himself  or 
the  gun.  Having  satisfied  himself  on  this  point, 
his  work  then  is  to  train  himself  to  develop  its 
capacity  to  the  utmost. 

Long-range  shooting  involves  certain  necessities 
which  comparatively  few  men  can  always  com- 
mand. In  the  first  place  it  is  a  difficult  matter  in 
2* 


34  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

a  country  which  is  thickly  settled,  and  much  inter- 
sected with  roads,  to  find  a  place  where  it  can  be 
practised  in  safety,  and  it  gives  one  a  very  disagree- 
able feeling  to  learn  that  his  bullets  have  been 
heard  whizzing  about  the  ears  of  his  neighbors.  It 
is  never  safe  to  shoot  into  the  side  of  a  hill  which 
is  anything  less  than  a  perpendicular  embankment. 
The  bullets  will  rarely  bury  themselves,  but  will 
glance  and  fly  off  in  the  most  unaccountable  direc- 
tions, and  to  an  incredible  distance.  Then  at  very 
long  ranges  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to  have  some 
one  to  mark  the  target  and  point  out  the  shots,  and 
a  telescope  must  be  used  to  see  where  he  points. 
If  a  proper  place  can  be  found,  and  a  party  go 
together  who  take  turns  in  attending  the  target,  or 
employ  a  person  for  the  purpose,  it  is  an  exceed- 
ingly interesting  exercise,  but  -will  not  probably  be 
extensively  practised  except  by  clubs  or  companies 
under  military  drill.  The  sportsman  will  rarely 
have  occasion  to  shoot  a  greater  distance  than  two 
hundred  yards,  and  never  so  much  as  that  except 
at  large  game,  and  the  interest  of  target  shooting, 
at  that  distance,  at  a  ten-inch  ring,  is  as  keen  as  at 
a  three-feet  bull's  eye  at  half  a  mile.  For  that  dis- 
tance it  is  not  difficult  to  find  a  shooting  ground 
where  one  can  practise  by  himself  in  safety,  and  by 
having  a  large  box  filled  with  sand,  with  paper  or 
pasteboard  targets  to  be  tacked  against  it,  he  may 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  35 

stop  every  bullet,  and  at  the  end  of  a  season's 
shooting  find  a  good  store  of  lead  for  recasting — a 
species  of  economy  which,  if  he  practises  much,  is 
by  no  means  to  be  despised. 

I  hope  to  see  the  day,  however,  when  such  prac- 
tice will  be  so  common,  that  every  community  will 
have  its  established  target  ground,  with  every 
necessary  arrangement  for  convenience  and  safety, 
and  where  any  one,  under  proper  restrictions  and 
regulations,  may  be  at  liberty  to  practise  or  receive 
instruction.  It  is  only  by  concerted  action  that 
the  interest  can  be  excited  which  the  subject  merits, 
and  it  is  high  time  we  were  bestirring  ourselves 
actively  in  the  matter. 

Our  kinsmen  across  the  water  are  very  far  in 
advance  of  us  in  this  respect,  as  we  shall  learn  to 
our  cost  if  we  ever  find  ourselves  opposed  to  them  ; 
and  whoever  reflects  upon  the  experiences  of  the 
last  two  years,  must  be  deficient  in  common  sense 
if  he  fails  to  perceive  the  duty  which  is  incumbent 
upon  us,  of  developing  our  national  strength  by  the 
encouragement  of  physical  education,  and  a  general 
familiarity  with  the  use  of  arms. 


CHAPTEK  III. 

THE  TARGET  RIFLE  REDUCED  TO  PRACTICAL  USE. 

IT  is  obvious  that  the  two  most  essential  points 
in  a  rifle  are  precision  and  force.  Unless  it  can  be 
relied  on  within  the  limits  of  its  range  to  place  its 
balls  within  a  certain  space,  it  can  of  course  inspire 
its  owner  with  no  confidence  of  power,  and  if  its 
range  is  not  sufficient  for  the  utmost  demand  he 
may  have  occasion  to  make  upon  it,  he  will  soon 
become  dissatisfied  and  impatient  of  the  conscious- 
ness that  he  cannot  rely  upon  it  for  game,  or  cope 
with  an  enemy  who  is  provided  with  a  more 
efficient  weapon.  But  the  utmost  possible  perfec- 
tion in  these  two  points,  is  only  to  be  attained  by 
the  construction  of  such  a  gun  as  is  utterly  useless 
for  field  service,  on  account  of  its  weight  and  neces- 
sary equipments ;  and  the  grand  problem  to  be 
solved  in  gun  manufacture  is,  to  ascertain  the 
greatest  degree  of  accuracy  and  force  it  is  possible 
to  attain,  consistently  with  the  other  essential 
requisites  for  its  easy  manipulation  and  use. 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  37 

In  considering  this  question  it  may  first  be  re- 
marked, that  very  different  degrees  of  accuracy  are 
required  for  different  purposes. 

In  military  service  occasions  may  often  arise 
when  the  value  of  trained  sharpshooters,  armed 
with  the  best  rifles  that  can*  be  made,  can  hardly 
be  overestimated,  while  for  troops  of  the  line,  amid 
the  smoke  and  dust  of  battle,  precision  of  shooting 
is  unattainable,  except  so  far  as  consists  in  giving 
the  proper  elevation, — or  rather  depression,  for  in 
most  cases  the  fault  lies  in  overshooting.  It  is  for 
military  men  of  long  and  varied  experience  to 
decide  whether  the  advantage  to  be  derived  from 
the  occasional  almost  invaluable  services  of  men 
armed  and  accustomed  to  the  use  of  such  guns  as 
are  only  available  in  rifle  pits,  as  a  species  of  light 
artillery,  are  sufficient  to  balance  the  objections 
arising  from  a  variety  of  arms,  and  the  fact  that  in 
ordinary  service  such  weapons  are  useless. 

For  the  sportsman  a  much  greater  degree  of 
accuracy  is  desirable  than  for  the  soldier  ;  yet  even 
with  him,  the  different  objects  in  view  and  the 
different  tastes  of  individuals,  admit  of  considerable 
latitude,  and  demand  the  exercise  of  judgment  in 
the  selection  of  a  weapon. 

The  man  who  seeks  only  the  amusement  of 
shooting  small  game,  requires  simply  a  gun  which 
is  reliable  for  hitting  a  very  small  mark  at  thirty 


38  HINTS    TO   RIFLEMEN. 

or  forty  yards,  and  will  be  satisfied  with  a  light 
gun  of  very  small  caliber.  Such  a  weapon  furnishes 
pretty  sport  for  ladies,  and  is  useful  in  teaching 
boys,  but  its  use  is  hardly  worthy  the  name  of  rifle 
shooting. 

The  sportsman  who  adopts  the  rifle  as  his 
weapon,  should  be  satisfied  only  with  such  game  as 
is  worthy  of  its  powers,  and  is  to  be  found  only  in 
the  forest  or  on  the  prairie,  remote  from  civiliza- 
tion ;  and  although  every  man  who  uses  a  rifle  is 
desirous  of  course  to  be  able  to  place  his  shots  as 
accurately  as  possible  in  the  spot  he  aims  at,  yet  for 
the  deer,  the  moose,  the  bear  or  the  buffalo,  it  is 
obvious  that  no  such  minute  accuracy  is  required  as 
for  barking  squirrels,  or  picking  off  the  heads  of 
partridges.  It  is  rare  that  an  opportunity  offers  for 
shooting  at  a  deer  at  so  long  a  range  as  two  hun- 
dred yards,  and  by  far  the  greater  number  of  shots 
— at  least  in  the  woods — are  made  at  less  than  half 
that  distance.  If  one  were  offered  his  choice, 
therefore,  between  the  best  single-barrelled  muzzle- 
loading  rifle,  capable  of  placing  every  shot  within  a 
two-inch  ring  at  one  hundred  yards,  and  a  repeater, 
capable  of  shooting  several  shots  in  succession,  but 
not  reliable  for  that  distance  for  a  smaller  mark 
than  a  circle  of  six  inches,  I  should  consider  him 
very  finical  in  his  tastes  if  he  selected  the  former  ; 
for  the  other  is  certainly  sufficiently  accurate  for 


HLNTS    TO   RIFLEMEN.  39 

his  purpose,  (as  any  one  may  see  by  describing  a 
circle  of  six  inches  diameter  on  the  side  of  a  deer 
with  its  centre  over  the  heart,)  and  the  very  great 
advantage  it  possesses  in  its  reserved  shots,  in  case 
of  coming  upon  a  herd,  or  wounding  an  animal 
which  might  escape  or  prove  dangerous,  is  more 
than  a  compensation  for  the  difference  I  have  sup- 
posed to  exist  between  their  powers  of  shooting,  for 
I  would  not  have  it  understood  that  I  admit  such  a 
difference  as  necessarily  existing. 

The  conditions  whose  observance  is  essential 
to  the  utmost  perfection  of  accuracy  and  power,  are 
more  rigidly  adhered  to  in  the  construction  of  the 
American  Target  Rifle  than  in  any  other  which  has 
yet  been  produced,  and  their  fulfilment  has  resulted 
in  a  weapon  which,  in  these  qualities,  has  never 
been,  and  probably  never  can  be,  surpassed.  These 
conditions  are  :  first,  an  enormous  weight  of  barrel, 
admitting  the  use  of  so  heavy  a  charge  of  powder 
as  to  impart  the  greatest  possible  initial  velocity  to 
the  ball,  without  any  serious  recoil ;  second,  the 
gaining  twist,  which  is  absolutely  essential  to  pre- 
vent stripping  when  so  heavy  a  charge  is  used ; 
third,  the  patent  muzzle  for  loading,  which,  with 
the  help  of  the  "  starter,"  insures  the  accurate  inser- 
tion and  true  delivery  of  the  picket ;  and,  finally, 
the  telescope  sight,  which  renders  the  aim  mathe- 
matically exact.  The  weapon  thus  constructed, 


4:0  HINTS   TO   KIFLEMEN. 

weighing  from  twenty-five  to  fifty  pounds,  and 
using  a  flat  ended  picket  of  hammered  lead,  care- 
fully swedged  and  seated  upon  a  linen  patch,  con- 
stitutes a  species  of  light  artillery,  whose  value, 
under  certain  circumstances,  as  has  been  abundantly 
proved  during  the  present  war,  is  inestimable,  but 
whose  only  possible  use,  except  in  such  cases,  is  as 
an  instrument  for  testing,  by  experiment,  the  degree 
of  precision  and  force,  or  range  which  it  is  within 
our  power  to  attain.  It  may  be  taken  as  the  unit 
of  perfection  in  accuracy  and  power ;  the  starting 
point  from  which  to  proceed  in  the  effort  to  pro- 
duce an  available  weapon  for  actual  service ;  or 
rather  as  the  goal  toward  whose  attainment,  con- 
sistently with  other  essential  requisites,  those  efforts 
should  be  directed. 

Considering  it  in  this  light,  I  propose  now  to 
examine  the  features  to  which  it  owes  its  superiority, 
and  endeavor  to  ascertain  how  nearly  the  necessities 
of  actual  service  will  permit  us  to  approach  them. 

It  is  obvious,  at  once,  that  the  telescope  is  inad- 
missible in  a  rifle  for  field  service,  as  it  renders  the 
weapon  too  unwieldy,  besides  being  too  delicate  an 
instrument  for  the  exposure  and  rough  usage  to 
which  it  must  of  necessity  be  sometimes  subjected. 
This  reduces  us  to  the  necessity  of  using  open  sights, 
of  which  the  globe  and  peep  sights  are  the  nearest 
approach  to  the  telescope.  But  even  these  require 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  41 

too  much  care  in  their  adjustment  and  use  to  be 
available,  either  for  the  soldier  or  the  sportsman, 
and  we  come  next  to  the  simple  bead  and  V  sights, 
which,  with  slight  modifications,  have  been  univer- 
sally adopted  for  military  and  sporting  rifles.  No 
one  who  has  not  tried  the  experiment  of  aiming  at 
a  distant  object  with  the  telescope,  and  then  with 
open  sights,  can  realize  how  great  a  loss  of  power  is 
involved  in  this  change.  At  a  distance  of  half  a 
mile,  the  intersecting  lines  of  the  cross  threads  in 
the  telescope  may  be  easily  fixed  upon  a  spot  two 
inches  in  diameter,  and  a  variation  of  half  an  inch, 
either  vertically  or  horizontally,  may  be  instantly 
detected. 

"With  open  sights  at  the  same  distance,  a  bull's 
eye,  three  feet  in  diameter,  is  completely  covered 
by  the  bead,  and  a  variation  of  a  foot  one  way  or 
the  other  is  hardly  perceptible. 

Supposing,  therefore,  that  the  same  rifle  is  used 
in  each  case,  and  that  its  shooting  is  perfectly  ac- 
curate, it  is  obvious  that,  with  the  telescope,  the 
shots  may  be  directed  with  a  degree  of  precision 
absolutely  unattainable  with  the  naked  eye  and 
open  sights. 

It  is  impossible,  of  course,  at  any  distance,  to 
do  better  than  place  the  shots  within  the  space 
which  is  covered  by  the  sights. 

Thus,  at  two  hundred  yards,  the  bead  of  the 


42  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

globe  sight,  when  seen  through  the  aperture  of  the 
peep  sight,  completely  fills  a  ring  or  bull's  eye  of 
nine  inches  diameter,  so  that  every  shot  which  hits 
within  that  ring,  has  done  its  duty  to  the  best  of  its 
ability,  being  within  the  limits  of  the  smallest  point 
to  which  it  was  possible  to  direct  it  with  such 
sights.  Yet  this  would  allow  a  margin  of  four  and 
a  half  inches  in  either  direction  from  the  centre, 
while  with  the  telescope  at  the  same  distance  the 
sight  may  be  taken  at  a  spot  of  half  an  inch  in 
diameter,  which  would  be  invisible  to  the  naked 
eye,  and  a  corresponding  precision  of  shooting  may 
be  attained. 

It  results,  then,  from  the  substitution  of  open 
sights  for  the  telescope,  that  at  the  distance  of  half 
a  mile,  which  is  less  than  half  the  distance  at  which 
the  rifle  shot  is  easily  fatal,  the  attainable  precision 
is  reduced  by  the  mere  loss  of  power  in  aiming  or 
directing  the  shots,  in  the  proportion  which  three 
feet  bears  to  two  inches.  In  other  words,  the 
chance  of  hitting  a  two-inch  spot  when  the  tele- 
scope is  used,  is  as  good  as  that  of  hitting  a  three- 
feet  ring  with  open  sights.  Now,  in  many  cases, 
this  is  of  no  practical  importance,  as  for  instance, 
between  bodies  of  infantry,  who  would  always  be 
brought  into  action  with  each  other  at  closer  quar- 
ters, and  who  are  not  expected  in  such  case  to  do 
more  than  give  the  right  degree  of  elevation,  writh- 


HINTS   TO   KIFLEMEN.  43 

out  aiming  at  individual  objects.  But  the  annals 
of  warfare  furnish  abundant  evidence  that  cases  fre- 
quently occur  in  which  the  importance  of  such 
power  can  hardly  be  estimated. 

The  instance  which  occurred  at  Balaklava,  as 
mentioned  in  Lord  Eaglan's  despatches,  is  a  case  in 
point,  and  may  serve  as  an  illustration. 

A  Lieutenant  Godfrey,  having  approached  a 
Kussian  two-gun  battery,  under  cover  of  a  ravine, 
within  six  hundred  yards,  and  having  his  men  hand 
him  their  rifles  in  succession,  actually  picked  off 
the  artillerymen  in  succession,  till  there  were  not 
enough  left  to  serve  the  guns. 

This  is  justly  cited  as  a  proof  not  only  of  the 
possible  value  of  good  marksmanship,  but  of  the  ex- 
cellence of  the  weapons  with  which  it  was  per- 
formed, which  were  Enfield  rifles.  "With  the  target 
rifle  and  telescope  sights  it  could  have  been  more 
easily  and  certainly  performed  at  twice  the  distance, 
as  has  been  repeatedly  proved  in  our  own  service 
and  in  target  shooting.  Six  hundred  yards  is  but 
little  more  than  a  third  of  a  mile ;  a  distance  at 
which  the  common  military  rifle  would  be  of  little 
value,  except  in  the  hands  of  a  first  rate  marksman, 
as  Lieutenant  Godfrey  proved  himself  to  be.  Gen- 
eral Jacobs  mentions,  as  a  remarkable  proof  of  the 
power  of  one  of  his  rifles,  that  "  a  good  shot  could 
put  nearly  every  ball  into  a  circle  of  eight  feet 


44  HINTS   TO   KIFLEMEN. 

diameter  at  one  thousand  yards,"  which  is  but  little 
more  than  half  a  mile.  With  the  target  rifle  and 
telescope  sights,  the  feat  has  repeatedly  been  per- 
formed of  firing  a  series  of  shots  without  a  single 
miss  into  a  flour  barrel  at  three  quarters  of  a  mile, 
and  at  Yorktown  the  "  Andrews  Sharpshooters," 
armed  with  these  rifles,  in  repeated  instances  held 
the  enemy's  batteries  silent,  till  counter  works  were 
established  which  could  not  have  been  erected  but 
for  their  aid.  On  one  occasion  a  party  of  our  men 
working  in  the  trenches  were  annoyed  by  a  sharp- 
shooter who  had  posted  himself  in  a  tree  eight  hun- 
dred yards  distant,  from  which  he  could  make 
their  position  an  uncomfortable  one,  while  it  was 
impossible  at  that  distance  even  to  distinguish  him 
with  the  naked  eye  among  the  branches  of  the  tree. 
Two  of  the  Andrews  Sharpshooters  were  placed  in 
the  trench,  a  telescope  sight  was  fixed  upon  him, 
and  the  first  shot  brought  him  down ;  and  this  is 
but  one  of  a  multitude  of  anecdotes  which  have 
reached  me  of  the  same  tenor. 

The  removal  of  the  telescope  does  not,  of  course, 
affect  the  shooting  of  the  gun,  but  only  the  power 
of  directing  the  shots.  The  next  change  which  we 
find  necessary,  however,  in  reducing  its  equipments 
to  practical  form,  affects  directly  its  precision.  This 
is  the  abandonment  of  the  patent  muzzle,  which  is 
inadmissible  for  the  soldier,  and  almost  equally  so 


HINTS   TO  RIFLEMEN.  4:5 

for  the  sportsman ;  and  yet  for  a  muzzle  loading 
gun  it  is  absolutely  essential,  to  insnre  the  perfect 
centring  and  true  entry  into  the  barrel  of  the  coni- 
cal or  elongated  shot.  It  consists  of  a  piece  of  the 
barrel  itself,  an  inch  or  so  in  length,  which  is  sawed 
square  off  at  the  end,  after  the  rifles  are  cut,  and  is 
so  arranged  as  to  be  exactly  replaced  and  held  in 
position  by  four  steel  pins,  while  loading,  and  then 
must  be  removed  when  the  gun  is  fired.  The 
muzzle  of  this  piece  is  cut  bevelling,  so  that  the 
bullet  may  enter  it  without  cutting  the  patch,  and 
may  then  be  pushed  down  with  the  "  starter  "  into 
the  barrel  beyond  the  line  of  intersection.  The 
false  muzzle  being  removed  after  the  gun  is  loaded, 
it  is  obvious  that  the  bullet  will  be  delivered, 
when  fired,  from  a  perfectly  square  cut  muzzle, 
involving  a  much  greater  certainty  of  true  de- 
livery than  if  it  comes  out  of  a  bevelled  muzzle, 
the  importance  of  which  may  be  understood  by 
reflecting  upon  the  effect  which  must  ensue,  if  the 
ball  comes  out  canted  to  one  side  so  as  to  admit  an 
uneven  escape  of  the  gas  which  propels  it.  The 
"  starter  "  is  an  instrument 'of  brass,  consisting  of  a 
tube  which  fits  exactly  and  firmly  over  the  end  of 
the  barrel,  or  false  muzzle,  and  through  which  slides 
a  piston  which  is  hollowed  at  the  end  to  receive  the 
point  of  the  bullet,  and  is  centred  to  correspond 
exactly  with  the  bore  of  the  gun,  so  that  when  fixed 


46  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

in  position,  it  insures  a  mathematical  coincidence 
of  the  axis  of  the  bullet  with  that  of  the  bore,  com- 
pared with  which,  any  possible  precision  which  can 
be  attained  by  the  eye  is  mere  guesswork,  and  the 
best  performance  of  the  expanding  bullets  used  in 
military  rifles  is  comparatively  rude  and  barbarous. 
In  breech-loading  guns  the  necessity  of  bevelling 
the  muzzle  does  not  of  course  exist,  and  the  May- 
nard  rifle  owes  its  precision  to  the  care  which  has 
been  taken  to  insure  the  perfectly  true  delivery  of 
the  bullet  from  the  cartridge  into  the  caliber,  as  ex- 
plained in  the  description  of  that  gun. 

The  false  muzzle  and  starter  together  weigh  a 
pound  or  two,  and  are  altogether  too  clumsy  and 
awkward  appendages  for  field  service. 

Having  thus  stripped  the  gun  of  the  external 
equipments  which  are  obviously  inadmissible  for 
the  soldier's  use,  we  now  find  it  necessary  to  reduce 
its  weight  to  such  a  standard  as  will  be  easily  porta- 
ble for  a  man  of  average  strength,  in  addition  to 
his  other  necessary  equipments  for  the  inarch. 

Experience  has  fixed  this  standard  at  about  ten 
pounds,  a  reduction  wKich  immediately  affects  the 
capacity  of  the  weapon,  by  changing  the  relative 
condition  of  the  elements  on  which  its  performance 
depends.  If  the  caliber  is  also  reduced  proportion- 
ally, we  may  still  preserve  the  same,  or  nearly  the 
same  ratio  of  weight  between  the  gun  and  its  pro- 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  4:7 

jectile,  as  is  seen  in  our  best  American  sporting 
rifles,  in  which  the  thickness  of  the  barrel  is  equal 
to  the  diameter  of  the  bore,  and  the  gauge  for  a  ten- 
pound  gun  is  about  ninety. 

With  such  a  weapon  the  accuracy  may  still  be 
preserved,  but  the  range  is  at  once  reduced,  even 
if  such  a  charge  is  used  as  to  insure  the  same 
initial  velocity.  Beyond  a  range  of  three  or  four 
hundred  yards,  no  dependence  can  be  placed  upon 
so  light  a  projectile,  while  its  power  of  inflicting  a 
severe  or  fatal  wound  is  reduced  in  a  still  greater 
ratio  by  its  loss  of  size,  as  well  as  weight  and  con- 
sequent momentum.  For  military  use  it  is  not 
wise  to  reduce  the  weight  of  the  projectile  to  less 
than  one  ounce,  which  is  about  the  average  weight 
which  has  been  adopted  by  all  nations  after  the 
most  careful  experiments. 

It  will  now  be  seen  that  the  final  results  of  the 
changes  which  have  been  indicated  (and  every  one 
of  which  was  absolutely  necessary),  is  the  produc- 
tion of  a  weapon  whose  form,  weight  and  equip- 
ment, are  represented  by  the  Springfield  rifle,  which 
may  indeed  be  taken  as  a  perfect  model  of  a  muzzle- 
loading  soldier's  gun,  and  as  the  nearest  approach 
which  can  be  made  to  perfection  of  power  and 
accuracy,  consistently  with  the  other  indispensable 
conditions  of  a  weapon  for  military  service.  The 
alterations  which  have  been  described,  however, 


4:8  HINTS   TO   KIFLEMEN. 

render  it  necessary  to  make  further  changes  of  the 
conditions  which  affect  its  performance.  With 
such  reduced  weight  of  the  gun,  without  a  corre- 
sponding reduction  of  the  ball,  it  becomes  necessa- 
ry to  diminish  the  charge,  as  otherwise  the  recoil 
would  be  greater  than  could  be  borne. 

The  effect  of  this  is  to  reduce  the  initial  velocity 
to  such  a  degree  that  there  is  no  longer  a  necessity 
for  the  gaining  twist,  as  the  projectile  does  not 
strip,  even  if  started  from  the  breech  with  a  turn 
sufficient  to  keep  it  spinning  to  the  end  of  its  flight. 
Herein  may  be  found  the  explanation  of  the  differ- 
ences of  opinion  which  prevail  in  regard  to  the 
value  of  the  gaining  twist. 

Our  best  rifle  makers  and  target  shooters  insist 
upon  the  gaining  twist  as  absolutely  essential  to  the 
best  shooting,  while  the  experiments  of  military 
men  in  Europe  and  in  this  country  go  to  prove 
that  no  perceptible  benefit  results  from  the  gaining 
over  the  even  twist,  and  an  experienced  gunmaker 
asserts  that  he  has  tried  the  experiment  of  reversing 
a  barrel  which  had  been  cut  with  a  gain  twist, 
breeching  the  muzzle  and  making  a  muzzle  of  the 
breech,  without  any  perceptible  effect  upon  its 
accuracy.  Now  the  object  of  the  twist  is  solely  to 
impart  a  rotary  motion  to  the  ball,  and  no  greater 
twist  should  in  any  case  be  given  than  will  suffice 
to  keep  it  spinning  to  the  end  of  its  flight.  If  this 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  49 

can  be  done  with  an  even  twist,  (and  experience 
proves  that  it  can  with  the  ordinary  charge  nsed 
by  the  soldier,)  nothing  will  be  gained  by  altering 
it.  But  with  the  enormous  charges  used  in  the 
target  rifles,  if  the  grooves  started  with  as  sharp  a 
turn  as  that  with  which  they  terminate,  the  ball 
would  strip,  or  in  other  words  be  driven  straight 
through  the  barrel  without  acquiring  the  rotary 
motion,  which  could  only  be  given  to  it,  while 
moving  with  such  velocity,  by  the  gradually  in- 
creasing guidance  of  the  gaining  twist. 

I  have  mentioned  the  American  sporting  rifle 
as  preserving  more  nearly  than  any  other  the 
relative  proportions  of  weight  of  barrel  and  projec- 
tile which  are  observed  in  the  target  rifle.  This 
gives  a  gauge  of  about  ninety  for  a  ten-pound  bar- 
rel, and  to  the  extent  of  its  range,  such  a  gun,  if 
properly  made  and  properly  used,  will  do  as  nice 
work  as  anything  that  can  be  produced,  excepting 
that  in  a  high  wind  it  is  of  course  more  affected 
than  a  heavier  shot.  And  the  range  of  such  a  gun 
is  sufficient  for  the  ordinary  purposes  of  a  sports- 
man, but  the  objection  to  it  lies  in  the  fact  that  the 
wound  inflicted  by  so  small  a  ball  is  not  sufficient 
to  destroy  life,  or  even  to  cause  serious  detriment 
to  a  large  animal,  unless  placed  directly  in  the 
brain  or  heart.  The  English  officers  in  the  Crimea 
used  to  complain  of  the  small  caliber  of  the  Colt's 
3 


50  HINTS   TO   KIFLEMEN. 

pistols  which  were  then  in  use,  that  an  enemy  might 
receive  a  death  wound  from  one  of  them,  and  yet 
live  long  enough  after  it  to  kill  his  antagonist ;  and 
so  a  deer  or  moose  may  receive  a  mortal  injury 
from  one  of  these  rifles,  and  yet  be  able  to  carry  it 
far  enough  to  make  his  escape  before  death  over- 
takes him,  while  the  mere  shock  of  so  terrible  a 
blow  as  is  inflicted  by  an  ounce  ball  is  enough  to 
paralyze  the  vital  functions  even  when  the  position 
of  the  wound  is  not  such  as  to  render  it  necessarily 
mortal.  I  have  known  a  deer  to  run  two  miles 
with  two  ninety-gauge  balls  in  his  flank,  one  of 
which  had  broken  the  thigh  bone  ;  and  another  to 
get  clean  off  with  a  ball  of  the  same  size,  which  (as 
could  be  plainly  seen  by  the  blood  on  his  side)  must 
have  been  within  an  inch  or  two  of  his  heart. 
With  a  ball  of  sufficient  size  this  could  not  have 
happened.  For  deer  shooting,  however,  I  think  no 
man  who  knows  the  use  of  his  weapon  need  use  a 
larger  caliber  than  a  fifty-gauge,  which  uses  a 
picket  of  about  half  an  ounce,  and  makes  much 
cleaner  work  than  one  of  an  ounce,  but  for  bears  or 
any  game  which  may  give  trouble  when  wounded, 
I  should  prefer  a  larger  caliber,  unless  the  gun  is  a 
repeater. 

One  of  the  most  reliable  targetmen  of  my 
acquaintance,  has  expressed  to  me  his  conviction 
that  it  was  impossible  to  attain  the  full  capacity  of 


HINTS   TO   KIFLEMEN.  51 

range  and  accuracy  of  a  fifty-gauge  telescope  rifle 
with  less  weight  of  barrel  than  twenty-five  pounds. 

A  great  many  riflemakers  object  to  large  cali- 
bers and  heavy  balls,  and  endeavor  to  dissuade  a 
purchaser  who  has  conceived  a  fancy  for  such  an 
instrument,  and  tries  to  induce  them  to  construct  it. 
They  insist  upon  the  impossibility  of  doing  as  nice 
work  with  such  a  gun  as  with  one  of  smaller 
caliber,  and  deride  the  argument  of  the  necessity  of 
heavy  balls  for  long  range  shooting.  Notwith- 
standing these  assertions,  the  fact  is  incontroverti- 
ble, that  a  small  ball  is  not  reliable k  for  a  long 
range,  and  a  gun  with  large  caliber  may  be  made 
to  shoot  equally  well  at  long  or  short  ranges.  The 
men  who  understand  the  construction  of  such  a 
gun,  however,  are  not  common,  and  the  task  is  one 
of  such  difficulty  that  it  is  not  surprising  that  few 
are  willing  to  undertake  it. 

A  consideration  of  some  of  the  principles  on 
which  the  target  rifle  is  dependent  for  its  accuracy, 
will  enable  us  to  understand  the  reason  of  this 
difficulty.  I  have  elsewhere  stated  that  one  of  the 
conditions  of  primary  importance  for  the  attainment 
of  this  result,  is  its  power  to  use  so  large  a  charge 
of  powder  as  to  insure  the  greatest  possible  initial 
velocity,  and  that  with  such  a  charge  and  such 
velocity  it  was  impossible  to  prevent  "  stripping," 
except  by  means  of  the  gaining  twist.  With  a 


52 


HINTS   TO   KIFLEMEN. 


heavy  ball  this  tendency  is  very  greatly  increased, 
and  it  is  found  exceedingly  difficult,  in  shooting  a 
bullet  weighing  an  ounce,  to  give  it  a  degree  of 
velocity  proportionate  to  that  attained  with  one  of 
half  that  weight  or  less,  without  so  cutting  and  dis- 
placing the  patch  and  deforming  the  ball  as 
materially  to  affect  its  accuracy.  A  target  rifle  of 
ninety  gauge  uses  about  the  same  charge  of  powder 
as  the  military  rifle  with  an  ounce  ball,  and  most 
gunsmiths  insist  upon  it  that  if  a  target  rifle  is  made 
with  a  caliber  large  enough  for  an  ounce  ball,  and 
loaded  with  a  charge  of  powder  proportionate  to 
that  used  for  those  of  small  caliber,  the  patch  and 
ball  will  be  inevitably  torn  and  damaged,  and  no 
good  shooting  can  be  done  with  it.  If  this  were 
true,  the  chief  object  of  telescope  rifles  (that  of 
shooting  with  reliable  accuracy  at  objects  entirely 
beyond  the  reach  of  anything  like  probability  with 
ordinary  sights)  would  be  defeated.  That  it  is  not 
true,  however,  has  been  proved  by  the  performance 
of  rifles  manufactured  by  J.  F.  Brown,  of  Haverhill, 
Mass.,  and  also  by  Mr.  "William  B.  Farrington,  of 
Concord,  N.  H. 


The  above  is  an  exact  representation  of  a  bullet 


HINTS   TO  KIFLEMEN.  53 

weighing  577  grains,  or  1^  ounce,  and  used  in  a 
target  rifle  of  Mr.  Brown's  make,  with  a  caliber  of 
•54  of  an  inch. 

The  three  targets  here  represented,  were  shot  by 
Mr.  Alvah  Merrill,  of  Haverhill,  with  one  of  Mr. 
Brown's  guns  of  this  caliber,  at  a  distance  of  40 
rods,  or  220  yards,  and  I  have  selected  them  to  il- 
lustrate some  interesting  points  in  connection  with 
the  subject  of  target  shooting.* 

The  gun  with  which  these  targets  were  shot, 
weighs  forty-two  pounds.  The  charge  for  it  fills  2J 
inches  of  the  caliber,  and  weighs  134  grains. 

The  rifle  is  cut  with  a  gaining  twist,  starting 
with  one  turn  in  five  feet,  and  ending  with  one  in 
three  feet,  but  with  this  peculiarity,  that  the  full 
degree  of  twist  is  attained  before  reaching  the  muz- 
zle, and  the  last  two  inches  maintain  an  even  turn, 
which  is  thought  to  impart  a  steadier  motion  than 
when  the  gaining  twist  is  carried  clear  to  the  muzzle. 

I  saw  these  targets  shot  myself.  The  day  was 
cloudy  and  rather  damp,  with  a  light  southeast  wind 
quartering  against  the  line  of  fire  from  left  to  right. 

No.  1  was  shot  with  balls  cast  and  swedged,  but 
the  lead  not  hammered. 

No.  2  was  shot  with  balls  of  hammered  lead. 
These  two  strings,  of  ten  shots  each,  will  be  ac- 

*  The  cross  lines  on  targets  No.  1  and  2  were  drawn  merely  to 
*  show  the  mean  point  of  impact,  or  central  point  of  all  the  shots. 


54: 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 
TARGET  No.  1. 


knowledged  by  any  experienced  rifleman  to  be 
equal  to  the  capacity  of  any  gun  that  can  be  pro- 
duced. In  fact,  if  we  consider  the  case  with  a  little 
attention,  it  will  be  seen  that  such  precision  is  a 
nearer  approach  to  perfection  than  is  often  attained 
by  any  instrument  of  human  manufacture.  For  if 
we  represent  the  distance  of  forty  rods  by  a  line 
four  feet  long,  (which  is  a  very  large  scale,)  and 
then  attempt  to  indicate  on  the  same  scale  the 
variation  of  one  inch,  (which  is  about  the  average 
error  of  these  shots,)  it  will  be  found  that  it  will 
hardly  make  a  perceptible  increase  of  the  thickness 
of  a  fine  pen  line,  so  that  in  reality  it  would  be  very 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 
TARGET  No.  2. 


55 


difficult  to  draw  a  line  of  that  length  with  a  ruler, 
without  making  a  greater  proportionate  divergence 
than  that  of  an  inch  in  forty  rods. 

It  will  be  observed  that  three  of  the  shots  in 
this  target  are  separated  from  the  group  in  which 
the  others  are  clustered.  Such  variation  may  be 


56  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

attributed  to  a  flaw  of  wind  meeting  the  ball  in 
its  flight,  or  to  the  presence  of  dirt  in  the  barrel. 
If  the  barrel  is  not  wiped  perfectly  dry,  and  grains 
of  powder  stick  to  the  sides  and  clog  under  the 
patch,  the  effect  will  be  seen  in  the  shot,  and  this 
fact  shows  plainly  the  importance  of  always  keep- 
ing the  bore  perfectly  cleaned  and  oiled,  and  never 
suffering  the  possibility  of  a  speck  of  rust  appearing 
upon  it. 

But  the  reader  is  perhaps  curious  to  know  why 
I  have  introduced  the  target  No.  3,  which  is  so  far 

TARGET  No  3.    (REDUCED  ONE  HALF.) 


inferior  to  the  others,  measuring  a  string  of 
inches,  and  the  shots  lying  all  around  the  centre 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  57 

(The  cut  represents  the  target  reduced  one  half.) 
My  reason  for  doing  so  is  that  it  illustrates  very 
strikingly,  the  importance  of  attending  to  the 
minutest  details  of  arrangement.  After  shooting 
the  first  two  targets,  it  was  found  that  no  more 
patches  were  at  hand  of  the  proper  size  for  such  a 
bullet,  and  others  were  substituted  which  were 
much  smaller,  and  in  fact  folded  but  little  way 
above  the  base  instead  of  extending  for  half  the 
length  of  the  bullet.  The  result  was  predicted 
and  immediately  verified,  for  all  the  three  were 
shot  in  immediate  succession,  and  there  was  no 
other  perceptible  cause  for  such  an  effect.  I  ex- 
amined many  of  the  patches  which  had  been  fired, 
but  found  none  which  had  been  cut  or  torn. 

From  .these  facts  it  may  be  seen  how  slight  a 
thing  will  affect  the  flight  of  a  rifle  bullet,  and  how 
essential  it  is  to  good  marksmanship  that  the 
shooter  should  be  familiar  with  his  weapon,  and 
with  all  the  niceties  of  arrangement  by  which  the 
utmost  perfection  of  its  performance  is  attained. 

On  the  30th  of  June,  1863,  a  match  of  fifty  shots 
each,  at  forty  rods  was  shot  at  Lowell,  between  Mr. 
Merrill,  using  the  gun  above  named,  and  Mr.  Far- 
riiigton,  of  Concord,  using  a  gun  of  his  own  make 
of  a  slightly  larger  caliber.  The  bullet,  however, 
being  shorter  than  that  used  by  Merrill,  was  but 
one  and  a  half  grain  heavier. 

3* 


58  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

It  was  a  very  bad  day  for  shooting,  the  wind 
blowing  in  violent  gusts,  and  shifting  its  course 
continually.  The  match  was  won  by  Farrington, 
whose  fifty  shots  measured  73  jf  inches,  to  Merrill's 
77}f ;  the  average  in  each  case  being  very  nearly 
one  and  a  half  inches  from  the  centre,  Farrington's 
being  a  little  less,  and  Merrill's  a  little  more  than 
that. 

But  the  grand  point  proved  by  such  shooting,  is 
that  it  is  possible  to  do  as  nice  work  with  these 
heavy  bullets  at  forty  rods,  as  with  one  of  a  ninety 
gauge,  and  as  a  consequence  that  we  have  here  a 
reliable  weapon  to  the  extent  of  its  range  which  we 
know  to  be  considerably  more  than  a  mile. 

From  reports  of  the  Ordnance  Department,  I 
find  the  average  variation  of  the  Springfield  Rifle 
at  two  hundred  yards,  when  fired  from  a  fixed  rest, 
is  about  five  and  a  half  inches,  and  it  will  be  seen 
that  the  difference  between  this  and  that  of  the  tar- 
get rifle  is  enough  in  a  range  of  half  a  mile,  to  give 
to  the  latter  all  the  advantage  I  have  claimed  for  it. 

The  refinement  of  accuracy,  however,  which  is 
attainable  with  the  best  target  rifles,  is  the  result 
not  only  of  the  construction  of  the  instrument  with 
which  it  is  performed,  but  of  the  most  careful  atten- 
tion to  minute  details  in  the  whole  process  of  its 
management. 

The  bullets  or  pickets  should  be  made  of  lead 


HINTS    TO   RIFLEMEN.  59 

which  has  first  been  hammered  or  rolled  and 
then  swedged  into  shape  in  a  steel  die  without 
being  melted.  If  we  take  a  common  bullet  as  it 
comes  from  the  mould,  and  swedge  it  and  then  put 
it  in  a  vice,  and  compress  it  to  half  its  length,  it 
will  be  found  to  be  covered  on  its  sides  with  little 
projections  or  blisters,  but  if  we  take  another  and 
hammer  it  on  all  sides  for  a  few  minutes,  and  then 
swedge  it  into  shape  and  repeat  the  process  of  com- 
pressing it  in  the  vice,  it  will  retain  its  smoothness 
of  surface  undisturbed.  Now,  in  being  shot  from 
the  gun,  the  bullet  undergoes  a  process  similar  to 
that  of  being  compressed  in  the  vice.  It  first 
receives  a  violent  blow  on  its  base  from  the  explo- 
sion which  tends  to  compress  it,  and  during  its 
passage  through  the  barrel,  the  resistance  of  the  air 
in  front  tends  still  further  to  the  same  effect,  pro- 
ducing what  is  called  the  "  upsetting  "  or  jamming 
together  of  the  ball.  By  the  process  of  hammering 
the  tendency  to  upset  is  much  reduced,  and  in 
whatever  degree  it  may  take  place,  there  will  be 
no  roughness  of  the  sides  to  affect  its  accuracy  by 
atmospheric  friction.  There  is  little  doubt  that  the 
process  of  upsetting  the  ball  is  due  chiefly  to  its 
compression  between  the  column  of  air  in  front,  and 
the  expanding  gas  in  its  rear,  and  as  this  pressure  is 
constantly  increasing  during  its  passage  from  breech 
to  muzzle,  the  ball  is  becoming  more  and  more 


60  HINTS    TO   RIFLEMEN. 

deformed  as  it  moves  forward.  The  fact  that  the 
bullets  fired  from  the  Atwater  Eifle  (elsewhere 
described),  invariably  preserve  their  shape  unin- 
jured, affords,  I  think,  convincing  proof  that  such 
is  the  case,  and  seems  to  promise  relief  from  an 
obstacle  which  has  hitherto  been  thought  insur- 
mountable. 

The  shape  of  the  bullet  is  a  subject  which  has 
occupied  the  time  and  attention  of  scientific  men  to 
a  degree  which  must  excite  the  astonishment  of  one 
who  has  no  knowledge  of  the  difficulties  attending 
it.  With  our  target  riflemen,  the  flat  ended  picket, 
with  its  base  slightly  rounded,  is  the  form  which  is 
universally  accepted  as  the  best  for  accuracy.  Va- 
rious theories  have  been  suggested  to  account  for  the 
undoubted  fact  of  the  greater  accuracy  of  flat  ended 
than  of  pointed  bullets.  One  of  the  most  recent, 
and,  to  my  mind,  satisfactory  explanations  of  it, 
was  suggested  to  me  by  Dr.  Maynard  (the  inventor 
of  the  Maynard  Eifle),  with  whom  it  originated. 
This  is  that  the  air  in  front,  being  driven  from  its 
position  in  a  direction  at  right  angles  with  the 
course  of  the  bullet,  does  not  again  unite  till  the 
bullet  has  passed  through  the  vacuum  thus  formed, 
and  is  thus  relieved  from  the  atmospheric  friction 
against  its  sides,  which  no  doubt  affects  it  materi- 
ally. The  following  illustrations  may  serve  to  ex- 
plain the  idea  more  clearly.  This  theory  accords 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 


61 


with  the  latest  received  explanation  of  the  phenome- 
non known  as  drift,  or  derivation,  which  is  the  ten- 


dency of  the  bullet  in  a  long  flight,  to  diverge 
toward  the  side  to  which  the  twist  of  the  rifle  in- 
clines,— that  is  to  the  left,  when  the  twist  is  from 
right  to  left,  and  vice  versa.  General  Jacobs  as- 
serts, confidently,  that  there  is  no  such  tendency, 
but  the  experiments  of  French  officers  seem  to 
leave  no  room  to  doubt  its  existence,  a.nd  the  most 
rational  explanation  of  it  is  the  one  to  which  I 


62  HINTS   TO   KIFLEMEN. 

allude,  that  the  action  of  gravitation  causes  so  much 
greater  atmospheric  friction  on  the  tinder  than  the 
upper  side  of  the  bullet  as  to  cause  the  divergence. 
The  patch  must  be  of  the  finest  linen,  and  used 
with  the  glazed  side  next  the  barrel,  and  in  order  to 
insure  its  folding  evenly  and  without  a  wrinkle 
about  the  bullet,  it  should  be  cut  with  a  steel  punch 
in  this  shape : 


A  circle  is  marked  around  the  muzzle  corre- 
sponding in  size  to  the  circumference  of  the  patch, 
which  (having  been  previously  wet  with  saliva)  is 
laid  on  so  as  to  coincide  with  it,  thus  insuring  the 
exact  centring  of  bullet  and  patch  on  the  muzzle, 
and  the  "  starter  "  being  then  applied  to  the  bullet, 
it  is  driven  down  some  two  inches  to  the  point  at 
which  the  "  freeing "  of  the  barrel  begins.  The 
starter  and  false  muzzle  are  then  removed,  and  the 
rammer  being  inserted,  the  bullet  is  slid  gently 
down  till  it  touches  the  powder,  when  the  rammer 
is  withdrawn,  care  being  always  taken  to  avoid 
pressure  upon  the  powder. 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  63 

After  every  shot  the  gun  is  carefully  swabbed, 
first  with  a  wet  and  then  with  a  dry  rag,  and  in 
shooting,  the  most  careful  attention  is  paid  to  the 
influence  of  wind  and  sun. 

From  the  statement  which  has  been  made  of  the 
conditions  on  which  the  target  rifle  is  dependent  for 
its  superiority  in  precision  and  force,  and  from  the 
manner  in  which  it  has  been  shown  that  those  con- 
ditions must  be  modified  to  render  the  weapon 
available  for  active  service,  it  may  be  presumed  that 
the  reader  will  now  be  able  to  judge  for  himself 
how  nearly  they  have  been  fulfilled,  in  any  given 
case  which  he  may  be  called  upon  to  decide. 

These  conditions  are  of  universal  application, 
and  any  arrangement  of  the  working  parts  which 
in  any  way  operates  to  hinder  their  fulfilment  is  in 
so  far  objectionable. 

It  must  not  be  supposed,  however,  that  any  gun 
is  to  be  relied  upon  merely  because  no  fault  is  to 
be  found  with  its  appearance.  I  am  now  speaking 
of  course  of  such  a  gun  as  one  would  purchase  for 
target  shooting  or  sporting  purposes,  (and  not 
merely  for  military  service,)  and  as  I  have  just  been 
setting  forth  the  merits  and  powers  of  the  heavy 
target  rifle  with  telescope  sights,  I  do  not  like  to 
leave  the  subject  without  expressing  my  conviction 
that  the  grand  object  of  rifle  practice,  that  of  train- 
ing men  to  the  ready  and  skilful  use  of  the  weapon 


64:  HINTS    TO    RIFLEMEN. 

in  the  field,  is  in  no  wise  promoted  by  the  use  of 
such  unwieldy  instruments,  requiring  a  dead  rest 
or  such  external  equipments  as  must  always  be 
abandoned  in  active  service.  As  an  instrument  for 
testing  the  possible  powers  of  the  rifle,  such  a 
weapon  is  invaluable,  and  the  experimental  proofs 
of  its  powers  are  exceedingly  interesting  and  im- 
portant, but  the  object  of  rifle  practice  being  to  fit 
men  to  make  a  ready  and  skilful  use  of  the  weapon 
in  the  field,  no  guns  should  be  used  in  target  prac- 
tice which  are  not  available  for  such  purpose,  and 
no  rest  should  be  allowed. 

Before  purchasing  a  gun,  then,  a  careful  exam- 
ination should  be  made  of  its  construction  and 
finish,  and  the  working  of  all  its  parts.  If,  how- 
ever, it  comes  from  a  reliable  maker,  his  warrant 
should  be  sufficient  to  insure  thorough  workman- 
ship, and  the  buyer  need  only  assure  himself  that 
its  weight  is  suitable  to  his  strength,  its  caliber  to 
the  work  for  which  he  wants  it,  its  general  appear- 
ance in  accordance  with  his  taste,  and  the  stock  of 
such  length  and  shape  as  to  fit  his  arm,  neck,  and 
shoulder.  And  this  last  can  only  be  learned  by 
trying  different  guns  till  the  difference  is  perceived 
and  the  easiest  form  discovered.  To  attempt  in- 
struction would  be  like  trying  to  give  directions  for 
fitting  a  boot,  which  every  man  can  best  learn  by 
experience.  The  balance  of  a  gun,  however,  is  an 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  65 

important  point  which  might  not  be  readily  ap- 
parent to  a  novice,  and  merits  especial  notice.  If 
the  muzzle  is  disproportionately  heavy,  it  will  be 
found  much  more  difficult  to  hold  the  piece  to  a 
steady  aim  (particularly  with  a  long  barrel),  than 
if  the  weight  is  near  the  breech,  for  the  same  reason 
that  if  the  blade  of  an  axe  is  held  in  the  hand  with 
the  helve  pointing  forward,  it  may  be  held  much 
more  steadily  than  if  it  is  reversed,  and  the  blade 
held  out  at  the  extremity  of  the  helve. 

Having  made  the  selection  so  far  as  can  be 
done  by  such  examination  and  trial,  the  proof  still 
remains  to  be  made  of  its  shooting,  and  for  this  I 
would  take  no  guarantee  short  of  actual  trial  by  a 
competent  person.  For  this  purpose  a  dead  rest 
should  be  prepared  in  such  a  manner  that  the  bar- 
rel of  the  gun  may  lie  upon  a  perfectly  inelastic 
substance,  like  a  bag  of  sand,  while  the  elbows  (or 
at  least  the  right  one)  also  are  supported  on  the 
stand  or  table  which  forms  the  rest.  This  stand 
should  be  perfectly  solid  and  firm,  and  the  shooter 
should  be  seated  by  its  side,  with  his  right  breast 
resting  against  it.  The  trial  may  be  made  at  what- 
ever distance  he  has  been  most  accustomed  to  shoot, 
but  for  the  mere  question  of  accuracy,  one  hundred 
yards  is  as  good  as  any  greater  distance,  leaving  the 
range  for  future  consideration.  The  finest  sights 
with  which  the  weapon  is  provided,  should  of 


66  HINTS    TO   RIFLEMEN. 

course  be  used,  and  these  will  probably  be  the 
globe  and  peep  sights.  A  four-inch  white  bull's 
eye  on  a  black  ground  is  a  good  target  for  one  hun- 
dred yards,  but  this  may  be  varied  to  suit  the  eye 
of  the  shooter.  It  should  be  as  small  as  can  be  dis- 
tinctly seen  through  the  sights,  and  the  bead  should 
just  fill  the  bull's  eye.  A  perfectly  calm  atmo- 
sphere should  be  selected,  and  if  the  sun  shines,  it 
should  be  behind  the  shooter,  and  full  upon  the 
target.  As  a  general  thing  I  prefer  the  hours  of 
sunrise  or  sunset  on  a  calm  morning  or  evening  to 
the  middle  of  the  day.  The  arrangements  being 
made,  a  series  of  shots  should  be  fired,  using  pre- 
cisely the  same  charge  of  powder,  and  aiming  ex- 
actly at  the  bull's  eye  at  every  shot.  Knowing  as 
I  do  the  strength  of  the  temptation  to  vary  the  aim 
to  meet  the  error  of  a  previous  shot,  I  do  not  trust 
myself,  and  would  not  advise  another  when  proving 
the  accuracy  of  a  gun,  to  examine  the  target  till  I 
have  fired  my  string. 

Any  number  of  shots  may  be  fired,  but  the 
object  in  view  may  as  well  be  attained  by  an  ex- 
perienced rifleman  with  ten  as  with  any  greater 
number.  Having  fired  your  string,  we  will  sup- 
pose you  find  your  target  to  be  as  represented  in 
the  annexed  figure,  and  if  your  distance  was  one 
hundred  yards,  you  will  have  no  cause  to  be 
ashamed  of  it.  It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  all 


HINTS   TO   EEFLKMEN. 


67 


we  are  trying  to  do  now  is,  to  ascertain  the  capa- 
ity  of  the  gun,  and  we  find  on  examination  that  all 


68  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

but  one  of  the  shots  have  struck  below  the  centre 
of  the  bull's  eye,  and  all  of  them  to  the  left  of  it. 
Next  draw  a  parallelogram  as  represented,  the  sides 
of  which  pass  through  the  centres  of  the  shot  which 
mark  the  extremes  on  each  side,  and  at  top  and 
bottom.  Divide  this  figure  in  its  centre,  horizon- 
tally and  vertically,  and  from  the  central  point  thus 
formed,  measure  the  distance  to  the  centre  of  each 
shot,  add  them  together,  and  you  have  the  amount 
of  your  string,  which,  if  divided  by  ten,  will  give 
the  average  distance  of  your  shots  from  the  centre. 
In  this  case  the  string  is  9*7  inches,  or  an  average 
of  *97  of  an  inch,  and  it  will  be  found  that  a  ring 
of  three  inches  in  diameter  will  enclose  them  all, 
which  is  as  good  as  need  be  expected  of  any  gun, 
and  better  than  will  be  done  in  nine  cases  out  of 
ten  with  open  sights  at  one  hundred  yards. 

Now,  in  order  to  bring  this  central  point  of  the 
line  of  fire  to  coincide  with  that  of  the  line  of  sight, 
it  is  necessary  to  elevate  the  back  sight,  and  move 
the  front  sight  to  the  left,  but  both  very  slightly, 
and  then  repeat  the  trial. 

Having  thus  proved  your  gun,  if  you  hope  ever 
to  deserve  the  name  of  rifleman,  do  not  be  tempted 
to  make  further  use  of  a  rest,  but  confine  yourself 
strictly  to  off-hand  practice. 

I  speak  feelingly  on  this  point,  from  having 
suffered  such  loss  of  power  as  I  fear  I  shall  never 


HINTS   TO   KIFLEMEN.  69 

be  able  to  regain.  In  my  sporting  days  I  never 
used  a  rest,  and  yet  I  never  had  a  doubt  of  securing 
my  game  at  any  reasonable  range  ;  but  for  the  last 
two  years  I  have  been  mainly  engaged  in  experi- 
menting with  different  kinds  of  guns,  for  which 
purpose  I  have  always  used  a  dead  rest,  and  I  now 
feel  literally  lost  when  I  undertake  off-hand  shoot- 
ing, and  can  feel  no  confidence  of  placing  my  shots 
in  the  target  with  any  tolerable  accuracy. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

PROJECTILE    FORCE. 

THE  customary  mode  of  testing  the  projectile 
force  of  a  gun  is  by  shooting  at  a  series  of  boards, 
placed  parallel  with  each  other,  and  finding  how 
many  are  penetrated  by  the  shot.  This  is,  perhaps, 
as  fair  a  test  as  could  be  devised,  but  unless  the  ex- 
periment is  conducted  with  care,  it  may  be  liable 
to  great  inaccuracy.  It  is  no  test  of  a  gun  to  take 
it  by  itself  and  try  its  power  of  penetration,  and 
then  compare  it  with  the  record  of  what  other  guns 
have  done  at  other  times  ;  for,  even  if  the  targets  be 
of  the  same  kind  of  wood,  the  difference  of  their 
consistency  owing  to  being  coarse  or  fine  grained, 
or  perhaps  merely  from  one  being  more  seasoned 
than  the  other,  would  make  an  essential  difference 
in  the  penetration.  Then,  again,  the  atmospheric 
influence  on  the  projectile  force  of  gunpowder  is 
very  different  at  different  times.  I  once  tried  the 
comparative  powers  of  penetration  of  two  guns,  on 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  71 

a  bright,  dry  day,  with  the  thermometer  at  92°,  and 
found  that  one  of  them  penetrated  eight,  and  the 
other  nine,  inch  boards  of  seasoned  pine.  The  next 
day  was  raw  and  damp,  with  an  east  wind,  and  the 
thermometer  at  60°,  and  on  trying  the  same  guns  in 
the  same  target,  I  found  the  difference  of  penetra- 
tion the  same  as  before,  but  the  penetration  of  each 
was  an  inch  less,  the  one  which  had  shot  through 
nine  giving  only  eight  inches,  and  the  other  seven, 
and  the  report  was  so  much  lighter,  that  if  I  had  not 
measured  the  charge  myself,  I  should  have  supposed 
it  much  less  than  the  day  before.*  In  order  to  test 
the  power  of  any  gun  therefore,  it  should  be  tried 
with  some  other  whose  powers  are  well  known,  and 
both  of  them  shot  at  the  same  time  and  into  the 
same  target.  The  record  of  the  two  should  then  be 
stated  together,  and  it  will  be  a  fair  statement  of 


*  From  numerous  experiments  which  I  have  made  since  the  pre- 
ceding was  written,  I  am  satisfied  that  the  explosive  power  of  gun- 
powder is  very  materially  diminished  by  extreme  degrees  of  cold, 
independent  of  the  degree  of  atmospheric  humidity.  In  shooting 
200  yards  on  a  perfectly  clear  dry  day,  with  the  thermometer  near 
zero,  with  my  sights  arranged  at  the  height  I  had  marked  for  that 
range  in  summer,  the  shots  invariably  fell  from  eight  to  twelve  inches 
below  the  mart.  I  have  never  seen  this  fact  noted  elsewhere,  and 
can  only  refer  it  to  the  theory  that  the  powder  is  then  less  combusti- 
ble, as  is  the  case  with  alcohol,  which  lights  almost  with  an  explosion 
in  warm  weather,  but  in  a  cold  day  I  have  sometimes  burnt  a  whole 
match  on  its  surface  without  igniting  it. 


72  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

their  relative  power.  If  I  had  tried  the  one  of  the 
above-named  guns  which  gave  the  greatest  penetra- 
tion on  the  first  day,  and  the  other  on  the  second,  I 
should  have  found  a  difference  of  two  inches  in 
their  powers.  If  I  had  tried  the  weaker  one  first, 
and  the  other  on  the  next  day,  I  should  have  found 
them  equal.  But  other  elements  than  those  I  have 
named  enter  into  the  question  and  must  not  be  over- 
looked. Every  schoolboy  knows  that  momentum 
is  proportionate  to  the  weight  and  velocity  of  the 
moving  object. 

A  two-pound  weight  moving  twenty  feet  in  a 
second  has  the  same  momentum,  or  in  other  words 
would  strike  any  object  with  which  it  came  in  con- 
tact with  the  same  force  as  a  one-pound  weight 
moving  forty  feet  in  a  second  and  so  on.  The 
natural  application  of  this  principle  to  projectiles 
would  lead  us  to  suppose  that  increased  power  must 
necessarily  result  from  increased  weight  of  the  pro- 
jectile, provided  the  charge  of  powder  was  increased 
in  the  same  ratio.  But  such  is  not  the  case  unless 
the  proportionate  weight  of  the  gun  to  the  ball  is 
also  preserved. 

The  gun  which  gave  the  greatest  penetration  in 
the  experiment  described  above,  used  precisely  one 
fourth  less  weight  of  powder  and  lead  than  the 
other ;  but  the  gun  itself  weighed  one  third  more, 
and  the  loss  of  power  by  the  recoil  of  the  lighter 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  73 

gun  was  more  than  enough  to  counterbalance  the 
gain  from  its  increased  charge. 

Another  fact  may  be  mentioned  in  this  connec- 
tion as  showing  the  liability  to  error  in  the  applica- 
tion of  principles  to  practice.  It  would  seem  at 
first  thought  that  increased  velocity  would  insure 
increased  range  to  any  attainable  degree,  and  I  find 
that  most  people  take  it  for  granted  that  such  is  the 
case,  and  conceive  it  to  be  a  matter  of  course  that 
increasing  the  charge  of  powder  will  increase  the 
range  of  the  ball  to  as  great  an  extent  as  the  experi- 
ment can  be  carried.  Such,  however,  is  not  the 
case ;  for,  although  the  initial  velocity  and  conse- 
quent momentum  of  the  shot  may  be  thus  increased, 
yet  the  atmospheric  resistance  increases  in  'so  much 
more  rapid  ratio  that  beyond  a  certain  point  it  is 
impossible  to  attain  by  such  means  any  increase  of 
range.  To  illustrate  the  principle  by  a  familiar 
experiment ; — if  we  take  a  lath  and  strike  a  gentle 
blow  with  its  flat  side  upon  the  water,  the  resistance 
will  be  trifling,  and  it  will  be  found  to  penetrate  the 
water  easily.  If,  however,  we  strike  a  very  hard 
blow,  that  is,  with  as  much  velocity  as  possible,  we 
shall  find  that  notwithstanding  the  great  increase  of 
momentum  that  of  the  resistance  is  still  greater,  and 
.instead  of  passing  through  the  water,  the  lath  will 
be  broken  as  if  it  had  been  struck  against  some  hard 
substance.  The  resistance  increases  in  the  ratio  of 
4 


74  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

the  square  of  the  velocity.  A  certain  amount  of 
water  must  be  displaced  to  admit  the  passage  of  the 
lath,  and  if  a  certain  degree  of  force  is  required  to 
move  it  in  a  given  time,  it  will  take  four  times  as 
much  to  move  it  in  half  the  time, — sixteen  times  as 
much  in  a  fourth,  and  so  on, — and  the  point  is  soon 
reached  at  which  the  resistance  balances  or  over- 
comes the  momentum. 

The  following  experiment  affords  a  still  further 
illustration  of  the  same  principle,  and  enables  us  to 
form  a  conception  of  the  enormous  power  of  resist- 
ance, which  may  be  created  by  greatly  increased  velo- 
city : — I  filled  a  common  butter  firkin  with  water  to 
the  depth  of  13  inches  ;  and  placing  it  under  a  win- 
dow, fired  a  ball  weighing  265  grains,  with  a  charge 
of  38  grains  of  powder,  perpendicularly  down  into  it 
— the  muzzle  of  the  gun  being  some  seven  or  eight  feet 
above  the  water.  The  ball  was  turned  a  good  deal 
out  of  its  course  in  passing  through  the  water,  as  it 
was  fired  directly  at  the  centre,  but  struck  and  split 
one  of  the  staves  within  an  inch  of  the  bottom,  and 
passed  through  the  bottom  just  where  it  joined  the 
side.  It  was  found  in  the  gravel  below  jammed  en- 
tirely out  of  shape,  and  on  examination  with  a  magni- 
fying glass,  it  was  easy  to  see  that  its  deformity  was 
mainly  the  result  of  its  contact  with  the  gravel. 

It  was  evident,  therefore,  that  after  passing 
through  13  inches  of  water  it  still  retained  a  very 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  75 

/ 

considerable  power  of  penetration,  as  it  had  passed 
through  the  bottom  of  the  tub  and  jammed  itself 
into  a  shapeless  mass  in  the  gravel  below. 

I  next  took  a  rifle  of  smaller  caliber,  the  ball 
weighing  165  grains,  and  loaded  it  with  70  grains 
of  powder,  thus  insuring  the  very  great  increase  of 
velocity  which  must  result  from  using  nearly  double 
the  charge  of  powder  to  very  much  less  weight  of 
lead.  The  effect  afforded  evident  proof  of  greatly 
increased  momentum,  and  yet  the  penetration  was 
less  than  before,  for  the  bottom  of  the  tub,  instead 
of  being  pierced,  was  but  very  slightly  indented, 
but  the  ball  itself  was  completely  flattened ;  and 
the  three  ash  hoops,  which  bound  the  tub,  were 
instantly  broken,  and  the  staves  were  thrown  apart 
as  if  by  a  violent  explosion.  Here,  then,  is  evidence, 
that  if  we  attain  a  greater  momentum  by  means  of 
an  increased  velocity,  the  resistance  of  the  element 
through  which  the  ball  is  passing  in  its  flight,  in- 
creases in  so  much  more  rapid  ratio  that  the  point 
is  soon  reached  at  which  the  momentum  is  overcome 
and  the  power  of  penetration  reduced.  For  the 
same  rule  holds  with  the  air  as  with  water,  though, 
of  course,  the  point  at  which  momentum  and  resist- 
ance balance  each  other,  is  sooner  reached  with  the 
latter  than  the  former. 

A  similar  and  very  instructive  experiment  is  re- 
lated in  an  English  treatise  on  "  Shot  guns  and  sport- 


76  HINTS  TO  KIFLEMEN. 

ing  Kifles  "  by  "  Stonehenge."  Six  shots  were  fired 
from  the  same  gun,  with  the  same  charge  of  powder 
into  sand.  The  two  first  were  fired  at  a  short  distance 
and,  of  course,  struck  the  sand  with  their  initial  velo- 
city but  slightly  diminished.  The  penetration  was 
about  a  foot — (I  quote  from  memory — the  principle 
being  all  I  wish  to  establish) — and  the  balls  were 
flattened  and  turned  back  at  the  points  so  as  to  look 
like  mushrooms.  The  next  two,  fired  at  considerably 
greater  distance,  were  much  less  deformed,  but  pen- 
erated  about  double  the  depth  of  the  first ;  and  the 
two  last,  fired  at  a  long  range,  penetrated  about 
three  feet,  and  retained  their  original  shape. 

Now  let  us  apply  these  tests  to  the  question  of 
range.  The  opposing  material  in  this  case  is  the 
atmosphere,  and  the  problem  to  be  solved  is,  what 
degree  of  velocity  will  enable  a  projectile  of  given 
weight  to  attain  the  greatest  penetration  of  this 
material ;  or  in  other  words,  what  must  be  the  pro- 
portion of  velocity  to  weight  to  enable  it  to  attain 
the  greatest  range  ?  We  have  seen  by  the  experi- 
ment with  the  water  that  with  a  certain  velocity 
the  ball  is  stopped  and  flattened,  while  with  a  much 
less  charge  it  passed  through  it,  and  penetrated  the 
bottom  of  the  tub  in  which  it  was  contained.  The 
air  being  thinner  and  more  yielding,  would,  of 
course,  admit  the  passage  of  the  ball  with  much 
greater  velocity  than  water ;  but  still  the  rule  holds 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  77 

with  both  that  a  point  may  be  reached  at  which  the 
resistance  becomes  so  great  as  to  overcome  the  mo- 
mentum and  react  upon  the  projectile,  and  the  at- 
tempt to  increase  the  velocity  beyond  that  point  by 
adding  to  the  charge,  will  in  fact  diminish  the 
range,  and  also  the  precision  of  the  shot,  just  as  we 
have  seen  to  be  the  case  in  the  experiment  of  shoot- 
ing into  water. 

These  questions  are  very  fully  discussed  and 
proved  by  experiments,  which  are  exceedingly  in- 
genious and  curious,  in  a  series  of  tracts  which  were 
read  before  the  Koyal  Society,  and  published  more 
than  100  years  ago  by  Benjamin  Robins,  the  only 
copy  of  which  that  I  have  been  able  to  find  is  in  the 
Library  of  Harvard  College. 

From  a  great  variety  of  experiments  he  deduces 
the  facts  that  "  Till  the  velocity  of  the  projectile 
surpasses  that  of  1,100  or  1,200  feet  in  a* second,  the 
resistance  may  be  esteemed  to  be  in  the  duplicate 
proportion  (or  square)  of  the  velocity  ;  but  that  if 
the  velocity  be  increased  beyond  that  degree,  then 
the  absolute  quantity  of  that  resistance  will  be  near 
three  times  as  great  as  it  should  be  by  a  comparison 
with  the  smaller  velocities.  For  instance,  the  re- 
sistance of  a  12-lb.  shot  moving  with  a  velocity  of 
1,700  feet  in  a  second,  instead  of  144£  Ibs.,  which  I 
have  assigned  it  in  a  former  paper,  will  be  three 
times  that  quantity  or  433^  Ibs." 


78  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

He  supposes  this  increased  ratio  of  resistance  to 
be  caused  by  the  more  dense  packing  of  the  air  in 
front,  and  the  formation  of  a  vacuum  in  the  rear  of 
the  projectile,  and  that  such  a  vacuum  is  not  formed 
till  the  above  degree  of  velocity  is  reached  ;  and  he 
calls  attention  in  a  note  to  the  curious  fact  that  this  de- 
gree is  precisely  that  at  which  sound  is  transmitted. 

Elsewhere  (page  243)  he  shows  that  this  in- 
creased resistance  renders  it  impossible  to  add 
greatly  to  the  range  by  increasing  the  initial 
velocity  beyond  a  certain  point. 

He  found  that  the  range  of  a  10-lb.  ball,  with 
the  enormous  charge  of  18  Ibs.  of  powder,  was  only 
one  fourth  more  than  with  a  charge  of  2  Ibs. 

The  following  rule  and  its  proof  are  so  impor- 
tant and  so  directly  to  the  point  that  I  give  it  ver- 
batim : 

"MAXIM    XII. 

"  From  the  sudden  trebling  the  quantity  of  the 
air's  resistance,  when  the  projectile  moves  swifter 
than  at  the  rate  of  1,200  feet  in  a  second,  it  follows 
that  whatever  be  the  regular  range  of  a  bullet  dis- 
charged with  this  last  mentioned  velocity,  that 
range  will  be  but  little  increased,  how  much  soever 
the  velocity  of  the  bullet  may  be  augmented  by 
greater  charges  of  powder.  For  by  the  extraordi- 
nary reinforcement  of  the  resistance  in  all  velocities 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  79 

surpassing  that  of  1,200  feet  in  a  second,  the  motion 
of  the  bullet  how  swift  soever  it  be,  is  soon  reduced 
to  this  last  mentioned  rate.  I  find,  for  instance, 
that  a  24-lb.  shot,  when  discharged  with  a  velocity 
of  2,000  feet  in  a  second,  will  be  reduced  to  that  of 
1,200  feet  in  a  flight  of  little  more  than  500  yards. 
Now  as  the  velocity  of  2,000  feet  in  a  second  is  much 
greater  than  what  a  24-lb.  shot  receives  even  from 
two  thirds  the  weight  of  the  bullet  in  powder,  and 
the  velocity  of  1,200  feet  in  a  second  may  be  pro- 
duced by  little  more  than  a  fourth  part  the  charge, 
it  appears  from  hence  how  speedily  all  the  addi- 
tional celerity  is  taken  away,  which  arises  from  the 
utmost  reinforcement  of  the  charge  beyond  that  of 
a  fifth  or  a  sixth  of  the  weight  of  the  bullet  in  pow- 
der. "Whence,  as  any  excess  in  the  velocity  of  the 
projectile  above  that  of  1,200  feet  in  a  second  is  thus 
precipitately  destroyed  by  the  resistance,  it  is  easy 
to  conceive,  that  the  regular  range  of  a  bullet,  fired 
at  any  considerable  angle  with  the  greatest  charge 
possible,  will  but  little  exceed  the  range  of  the  same 
bullet,  when  fired  with  a  fifth  or  a  sixth  of  its 
weight  of  good  powder.  I  find,  for  instance,  that 
the  regular  range  at  10°  of  a  24-pounder,  fired  with 
24  Ibs.  of  powder,  will  not  exceed  the  range  of  the 
same  piece  at  the  same  angle  when  fired  with  only 
5  Ibs.  of  powder,  by  more  than  500  yards;  the 
whole  range  being  above  3,000  ;  so  that  with 


80  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

charges  in  the  proportion  of  5  to  24  the  ranges  are 
only  as  5  to  6.  And  this  not  from  any  defect  of 
the  action  of  the  powder  in  the  larger  charge,  but 
solely  from  the  extraordinary  action  of  the  air's 
resistance." 

In  this  connection  the  problem  presents  itself 
of  the  resistance  of  the  air  to  the  passage  of  the 
bullet  within  the  barrel  of  the  gun.  It  is  obvious 
that  this  must  be  very  much  greater  than  that 
which  it  encounters  after  leaving  the  barrel,  for  the 
reason  that  it  is  in  the  form  of  a  solid  column  of  the 
length  of  the  barrel,  which  must  be  pushed  forward 
as  it  has  no  opportunity  to  escape  at  the  sides. 
Yarious  experiments  have  been  tried  which  prove 
that  this  resistance  must  be  very  great.  Greener 
relates  the  following : 

1 "  If  a  cartridge,  having  a  bullet  at  each  end,  is 
placed  in  the  centre  of  an  open  barrel  eight  feet  in 
length,  and  a  touch-hole  drilled  as  near  the  centre 
of  the  cartridge  as  possible,  when  it  is  fired  the  balls 
will  certainly  be  discharged  from  the  barrel,  but 
with  a  very  small  degree  of  force ;  in  fact,  merely 
driven  out. 

"  With  the  same  instrument  vary  the  experi- 
ment ;  place  in  it  a  cartridge  charged  with  one  ball, 
three  feet  from  the  muzzle,  leaving  a  column  of  air 
five  feet  in  length  to  act  against  the  explosive  force 
of  the  powder,  and  the  ball  will  be  driven  100  yards 


HINTS  TO   RIFLEMEN.  81 

with  considerable  force.  Again  let  a  third  cartridge 
be  introduced  similar  to  the  last,  two  feet  from  the 
muzzle,  increasing  the  column  of  air  in  its  rear  to 
six  feet,  and  the  result  in  distance  and  velocity  will 
nearly  double  what  was  obtained  by  the  previous 
experiment ;  tending  to  prove  that  air  thus  forced 
back  upon  itself  obtains  a  density,  and  consequent 
resisting  influence  nearly  equal  to  a  well  screwed 
breech." 

The  following  experiment,  in  proof  of  the  same 
fact,  was  told  me  by  Dr.  Maynard  : 

The  barrel  of  a  gun  was  pierced  with  a  great 
number  of  small  holes  for  more  than  half  its  length 
from  the  muzzle  toward  the  breech.  It  was  then 
enclosed  in  wrappers  of  paper,  pasted  tightly  over 
each  other  so  as  to  form  a  very  thick  and  strong 
envelope,  and  was  then  loaded  with  only  a  wad 
over  the  powder,  and  fired  in  a  room.  The  air  was 
instantly  filled  with  a  shower  of  bits  of  paper,  blown 
out  from  over  the  holes  ;  but  on  examination,  not  a 
single  piece  could  be  found  which  was  in  the  least 
discolored  by  smoke — showing  that  it  was  the  force 
of  the  air  in  front  of  the  charge  which  burst  them 
out. 

These  experiments  afford  sufficient  proof  that 

the  ball  has  to  encounter  an  enormous  resistance 

from  the  air  during  its  passage  through  the  barrel, 

and  the  gun  itself  must  endure  a  corresponding 

4* 


82  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

strain  from  the  action  of  the  contending  elements 
within  it. 

It  is  doubtless  from  the  action  of  the  air,  and  not 
from  that  of  the  powder,  that  cheap  shot  guns  are 
so  frequently  burst  or  bulged,  at  or  near  the  muzzle, 
which  is  where  the  air  would  exert  its  greatest  force 
while  that  of  the  expanding  gas  is  greatest  at  the 
breech. 

The  principle  of  rifling  invented  by  Mr.  Atwater, 
of  Chicago,  has  for  its  object  to  relieve  this  resist- 
ance, and  the  result  seems  to  have  been  successful, 
though  the  means  adopted  involve  an  apparent  con- 
tradiction of  principles,  which  have  heretofore  been 
considered  indisputable.  His  plan  is  this  :  Suppos- 
ing a  barrel  to  be  rifled  with  an  even  number — say 
six  grooves  ;  he  begins  at  the  muzzle,  arid  cuts  out 
each  alternate  land  down  to  within  eighteen  inches, 
or  thereabouts  of  the  breech.  The  effect  is  that  the 
ball  starts  from  the  breech  with  a  perfectly  tight  fit, 
and  so  proceeds  till  it  reaches  the  point  where  the 
lands  are  removed.  From  there  to  the  muzzle  it  is 
held  in  place,  and  the  rotary  motion  is  preserved,  by 
the  three  remaining  lands,  while  the  intervals  be- 
tween them  are  open  spaces  which  admit  the  pas- 
sage of  the  air  between  the  ball  and  the  sides  of  the 
barrel.  According  to  previous  theories,  any  one  at 
all  acquainted  with  the  subject  would  have  been 
ready  to  assert  that  the  expansive  power  of  the  gas 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  83 

behind  would  be  so  much  greater  than  the  resist- 
ance of  the  air  in  front,  that  the  only  effect  would 
be  to  weaken  the  force  of  the  discharge,  by  allowing 
it  to  escape  through  these  openings.  Such,  how- 
ever, does  not  prove  to  be  the  case,  as  the  range  or 
penetration  is  found  to  be  very  greatly  increased  by 
the  operation.  I  have  only  once  had  an  opportu- 
nity of  witnessing  a  trial  of  a  gun  of  this  descrip- 
tion, and  the  trial  in  that  case  was  not  a  fair  test,  as 
the  gun  had  previously  become  so  rusted  that  it  had 
to  be  rubbed  out  with  emery,  and  the  balls  in  con- 
sequence were  too  loose  in  the  bore.  But  even  with 
this  defect  the  average  penetration  at  100  yards, 
was  one  third  more  than  that  of  an  ordinary  rifle  of 
the  same  caliber  with  the  same  weight  of  powder 
and  lead ;  and  in  addition  to  this  a  very  singular 
feature  of  the  experiment  was,  that  every  ball  from 
the  Atwater  gun,  whatever  might  be  the  degree  of 
its  penetration,  preserved  its  shape  perfectly,  so  that 
bullets  of  soft  lead,  which  had  penetrated  ten  or 
twelve  inches  of  pine  boards  were  not  in  the  least 
deformed,  but  looked  as  if  just  swedged. 

The  following  letter  from  Mr.  W.  H.  Butler,  of 
Chicago,  (under  whose  supervision  the  piece  of 
ordnance  whose  wonderful  performance  he  de- 
scribes was  manufactured,)  was  in  reply  to  my 
application  for  such  details  of  the  history  of  the 
invention  as  might  be  of  interest  to  the  public. 


84:  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

"  CHICAGO,  June  22d,  1863. 

"  The  invention  was  patented,  March  6th,  1860, 
by  Mr.  J.  B.  Atwater,  of  Ripon,  Wisconsin,  now  a 
resident  of  Chicago. 

"  The  idea  of  relieving  the  ball  of  a  portion  of  the 
resistance  consequent  upon  the  packing  of  the  air 
in  front  of  it,  does  not  seein  to  have  entered  the 
thoughts  of  those  whose  occupation  confined  them 
to  practical  experiments  with  rifled  firearms.  The 
development  of  the  principle  was  left  to  one  whose 
thoughts  had  been  previously  directed  in  quite  a 
different  channel. 

"  Mr.  Atwater  is,  perhaps,  more  widely  known 
to  the  public  in  connection  with  the  drama,  having 
opened  the  first  theatre  in  California  in  1849.  This 
profession  he  abandoned  in  1857,  since  which  period 
his  time  has  been  devoted  to  the  study  of  mechanics. 

"  The  first  idea  of  this  improvement  originated 
in  experiments  with  an  atmospheric  engine,  which 
Mr.  Atwater  had  constructed. 

"  The  most  singular  fact  connected  with  the  in- 
vention is  that  no  subsequent  alteration  or  modifica- 
tion in  mechanical  construction  during  three  years 
of  experiments,  has  been  found  to  develop  the 
principle  so  thoroughly  as  the  exact  mode  of  rifling 
first  adopted.  A  principle  at  war  with  established 
theories  leaped  into  light — a  model  of  perfect  devel- 
opment. 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  85 

"  That  an  improvement  of  so  much  importance 
to  the  world  should  have  been  treated  with  neglect 
would  seem  strange  indeed,  did  we  not  know  that 
such  a  fate  not  unfrequently  attaches  itself  to  great 
and  truly  useful  inventions.  Prejudices  have  to  be 
overcome,  but  facts  are  stubborn  things,  and  sooner 
or  later  truth  must  prevail. 

"  At  the  breaking  out  of  the  rebellion,  this  im- 
provement was  proffered  to  our  Government,  but 
no  notice  was  taken  of  the  offer. 

"  A  six-inch  gun  (twelve  feet  long,  and  carrying 
an  80-lb.  shot)  was  constructed  and  rifled  on  Mr. 
Atwater's  principle,  and  is  now  on  test  at  the  Wash- 
ington Navy  Yard  ;  and  from  experiments  already 
tried,  we  are  warranted  in  saying  its  range  is  nearly 
one  third  greater  than  that  of  any  other  gun  ever 
fired. 

"  At  5°  elevation  it  threw  its  ball  2,880  yards, 
being  960  yards  more  than  the  Armstrong  gun  does, 
at  the  same  elevation. 

"  Since  the  invention  has  been  patented,  experi- 
ments have  been  made  to  show  the  pressure  of  the 
gases  at  different  points  along  the  bore  of  a  gun, 
and  others  to  show  the  resistance  of  the  atmosphere 
on  a  ball  moving  at  the  rate  of  1,000  feet  per  second, 
which  go  to  show  some  of  the  probable  causes  of 
the  increased  force  of  this  gun,  (see  Capt.  Hodman's 


86  HINTS   TO   KIFLEMEN. 

and  Lieut.  Simpson's  works  on  ordnance,)  among 
which  are  the  following  : 

"  Lessening  of  friction,  and  of  resistance  from  the 
column  of  air,  by  allowing  the  ball  to  pass  it  while 
in  a  compressed  state  within  the  gun.  Supplying 
the  vacuum  with  air  through  the  recesses  after  the 
ball  has  passed  the  cut-offs.  Increased  expansion 
of  the  gases  by  admission  of  atmospheric  air. 

"  In  small  arms  the  best  result  has  been  obtained 
from  a  f  bore  and  33-inch  barrel,  which  penetrated 
26£  inches  in  soft  pine.*  This  gun  had  the  lands 
cut  out  at  22  inches  from  the  breech. 

"  With  a  40-inch  barrel  and  -|-inch  bore,  with 
lands  cut  out  at  18  inches  from  the  breech,  the  pen- 
etration was  17  inches.  Same  gun  with  lands  cut 
out  at  12  inches  from  the  breech  lost  16J  per  cent, 
in  penetration. 

"  From  experiments  made  thus  far,  we  judge 
that  from  18  to  22  inches  from  the  breech  is  the 
point  to  commence  cutting  out  in  guns  of  ordinary 
length.  The  depth  of  groove  must  be  somewhat  in 
proportion  to  the  diameter  of  the  bore. 

"  Experiments  for  accuracy  have  not  been  very 
extended,  but  sufficient  to  demonstrate  that  it  is 

*  This  is  more  than  double  the  average  of  the  Springfield 
and  Enfield  rifles,  but  is  not  equal  to  the  best  record  of  the 
Whitworth.— H.  W.  S.  C. 


HINTS   TO  KIFLEMEN.  87 

equal  if  not  superior  to  the  best  rifles  of  the  old 
model. 

"  Mr.  Freeman  of  Fond-du-Lac,  Wisconsin,  has 
tested  it  more  fully  than  any  other  man.  He  made 
seven  shots  from  the  shoulder  at  twelve  rods,  and 
put  the  whole  seven  balls  in  one  hole  £  of  an  inch 
in  diameter.  He  has  also  used  it  for  turkey  shoot- 
ing, and  kills  at  80  rods  nearly  every  shot.  He 
offers  to  put  up  $1,000  and  shoot  against  any  gun  in 
the  world  but  no  one  has  dared  accept,  though  it 
has  been  a  standing  offer  for  the  last  year."  * 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  this  discovery  seems  to 
comprise  the  most  important  improvement  which 
has  been  made  in  gunnery  for  a  very  long  time. 
The  principle  is  one  which  may  be  readily  applied 
to  any  and  every  rifle,  and  with  a  manifest  imme- 
diate increase  of  its  power. 

If  the  facts  are  as  represented  (and  so  far  as  I 

/ 

*  Since  my  MS.  was  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  printer,  I  have 
received  from  Mr.  Butler  the  following  report  of  a  comparative  trial 
of  this  gun  with  the  Dahlgren  and  Parrott  guns : 

"Distance  1300  yards. — Target  20  feet  square. 

Dahlgren— -Elevation  2°  45' 19  hits  out  of  40. 

Parrott,  "          2°  45' 32          "          40. 

Atwater,  "          2°  15' 40         "         40. 

The  lowest  elevation  at  which  the  Atwater  gun  was  fired  was  2°  08', 
and  the  ball  struck  two  feet  above  the  bottom  of  the  target." 


88  HINTS   TO   KIFLEMEN. 

have  had  an  opportunity  to  examine  I  have  seen  no 
reason  to  doubt  the  statement)  the  principle  it  de- 
velops must  of  necessity  be  universally  adopted.  It 
promises  too  much  to  be  suffered  to  rest  where  it  is, 
and  as  soon  as  it  is  made  evident  that  these  advan- 
tages can  be  secured  by  it,  and  are  not  accompanied 
by  corresponding  defects  which  counterbalance  them 
its  application  will  become  an  imperative  necessity 
to  every  rifle. 

Comparatively  few  people  attain  any  definite 
conception  of  the  force  of  a  rifle  ball  from  the  mere 
statement  of  the  amount  of  its  penetration.  The 
following  illustration  may  assist  those  whose  ex- 
perience does  not  enable  them  to  appreciate  such  a 
test :  I  was  shooting  one  day  at  a  distance  of  150 
yards  at  a  target,  which  was  made  of  the  cover  of  a 
large  packing  case,  bound  with  thick  iron  straps, 
which  were  riveted  to  oaken  elects  on  the  under 
side.  One  of  the  bullets  happened  to  strike  this 
strap,  and  although  it  was  quite  near  the  edge,  it 
passed  directly  through,  then  through  the  pine 
board  and  oaken  cleet,  each  half  an  inch  thick,  and 
buried  itself  in  a  cedar  post  behind.  The  bullet 
weighed  half  an  ounce,  and  was  shot  with  a  charge 
of  only  thirty-eight  grains  of  powder.  I  then  laid 
the  target  upon  a  large  flat  rock,  and  taking  a  stout 
iron  spike,  I  set  it  upright  with  its  point  on  the  strap, 
supporting  it  with  a  stone  on  each  side,  and  tried 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  89 

the  effect  of  a  blow  with  a  four-pound  sledge  ham- 
mer given  with  my  full  strength  with  both  hands. 
I  barely  succeeded  in  punching  a  hole  through  the 
iron  and  penetrating  the  pine  wood  about  a  quarter 
of  an  inch.  The  spike  being  pointed,  of  course 
made  a  hole  in  the  iron  scarcely  an  eighth  of  the 
size  of  that  made  by  the  bullet ;  and  considering 
the  difference  of  penetration,  it  is  safe  to  say  that 
the  force  of  a  half-ounce  ball  at  the  distance  of  150 
yards  is  at  least  four  times  as  great  as  that  of  a  blow 
of  a  four-pound  sledge  hammer  in  the  hands  of  a 
moderately  strong  man.  It  is  but  a  rude  illustra- 
tion, but  may  serve  to  aid  the  mind  in  grasping  the 
subject. 

The  fact  of  the  atmospheric  resistance  increasing 
in  such  rapid  ratio  to  the  velocity  renders  it  impor- 
tant in  testing  the  penetration^of  different  guns,  that 
the  shots  should  be  fired  at  a  very  short  range,  as 
otherwise  the  power  gained  by  increased  velocity 
will  very  soon  be  neutralized  by  the  air ;  and  for  the 
same  reason,  it  is  obvious  that  increased  penetration, 
if  gained  by  increased  velocity  and  without  addi- 
tional weight  of  projectile,  will  not  secure  an  in- 
crease of  range. 


CHAPTER   V. 

MERITS  OF  DIFFERENT  CLASSES  OF  GUNS,  METALLIC   CAR- 
TRIDGES, ETC.,  ETC. 

THE  difficulty  of  deciding  upon  the  relative 
merits  of  the  different  rifles  which  are  offered  for 
the  inspection  of  a  purchaser,  may  be  judged  by  the 
following  extracts  from  the  descriptive  pamphlets, 
which  have  been  issued,  by  way  of  making  their 
advantages  known  to  the  public,  by  the  proprietors 
of  some  of  the  best  patterns  of  arms. 

Of  the  Maynard  rifle  it  is  asserted  that  "  Engi- 
neers, scientific  and  practical,  are  unanimous  in 
their  praise  of  this  rifle,  as  being  a  most  admirable 
example  of  the  true  arrangement  of  mechanism  and 
distribution  of  material,  to  secure  the  utmost  degree 
of  strength  and  durability  within  a  certain  weight. 
Practical  gunmakers  speak  of  it  as  the  best  studied 
rifle  yet  produced  of  the  breech-loading  order." 

General  Scott  says  of  this  rifle  :  "  It  is  the  most 
beautiful  piece  of  mechanism  I  ever  saw. 

"  It  seems  to  do  all  that  is  required  of  a  military 
rifle,  and  to  do  it  in  the  best  possible  manner." 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  91 

And  of  the  Maynard  primer  he  says  :  "  It  is  the 
greatest  improvement  in  firearms  made  within  a 
century." 

Lieut-Col.  B.  S.  Koberts,  of  the  Kegt.  of  Mount- 
ed Kiflemen,  U.  S.  A.,  says,  July  14,  1859 : 

"  I  am  sure  the  merits  of  your  gun  over  all  other 
breech  loaders,  for  mounted  troops  and  skirmishers, 
will  be  acknowledged.  It  seems  to  answer  every 
end  that  the  soldier  and  sportsman  could  have  de- 
sired, or  ingenuity  devise  and  apply  to  practice.  I 
have  used  your  rifle  at  every  distance  within  the 
range  of  any  accuracy  of  vision,  and  its  precision 
and  penetration  surpass  any  expectation  I  had  ever 
formed  as  within  the  accomplishment  of  small 
arms." 

Henry  H.  Lockwood,  Professor  of  Field  Artil- 
lery and  Infantry  Tactics  at  U.  S.  Naval  Academy, 
says : 

"  Being  curious  to  compare  it  (the  Maynard) 
with  the  Minie  rifle,  I  fired  both  weapons  at  both 
short  and  long  ranges.  In  point  of  accuracy  and 
range,  I  found  the  Maynard  vastly  superior. 

At  1,400  yards  I  found  it  necessary  to  give  the 
Minie  double  the  elevation  of  the  Maynard  to  reach 
the  same  object.  I  have  seen  no  piece  at  all  com- 
parable to  it  for  convenience  of  handling  and  load- 
ing. I  have  no  hesitation  in  pronouncing  the  May- 
nard the  most  remarkable  rifle  I  have  yet  seen,  and 


92  HINTS   TO   KIFLEMEN. 

as  such,  well  worthy  the  patronage  of  the  Govern- 
ment and  the  public." 

The  proprietors  of  Colt's  rifles  claim  that  "  They 
have  been  thoroughly  tested  by  all  classes  of  men  in 
every  country,"  and  have  been  proved  to  possess 
the  following  among  other  very  important  advan- 
tages : 

"  They  have  a  force  and  accuracy,  which  have 
no  parallels  in  the  history  of  firearms. 

"They  are  simple  in  construction  and  easily 
taken  care  of. 

"  They  are  made  of  the  best  steel  that  can  be 
procured  for  money,  and  have  the  strength  to  resist 
the  explosive  force  of  gunpowder,  while  the  mongrel 
imitations  and  cheap  arms  are  more  dangerous  to 
their  owners  than  they  are  to  all  others. 

"  They  are  well  finished,  and  as  cheap  as  a  good 
arm  can  be  made  by  the  aid  of  modern  machinery 
and  skilful  labor. 

"  They  have  been  adopted  for  the  service  of  the 
U.  S.  by  the  Army  Board  at  West  Point  in  1858, 
and  for  many  years  previously,  as  superior  to  all 
others." 

Lieut.  Hans  Busk,  of  the  Victoria  Rifles,  author 
of  "  The  Rifle,  and  how  to  use  it,"  says  in  a  letter 
to  Col.  Colt,  dated  April  28th,  1859  : 

"  Your  rifle  is  by  far  the  most  complete  speci- 
men of  a  soldier's  firelock  that  has  yet  been  pro- 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  93 

duced,  and  considering  that  I  have  fired  more  than 
68,000  rounds  from  my  own  shoulder,  my  opinion 
in  such  matters  is,  perhaps,  worth  more  than  the 
mere  empty  praise  of  a  green  hand ;  let  any  one 
who  wants  to  know  what  a  Colt  can  do,  take  my 
word  for  it,  that  for  efficiency  and  strength  of  shoot- 
ing, nothing  can  beat  it" 

Col.  Charles  A.  May,  U.  S.  A.,  writes  to  Col. 
Colt: 

"  April  8th,  1858. — In  reply  to  your  note,  re- 
questing me  to  state  whether  or  not  I  had  in  view 
the  comparative  value  of  Sharp's  carbine  and  rifle 
with  that  pf  your  arms,  examined  by  the  Board,  of 
which  I  was  a  member,  I  have  to  state  that  I  had 
not  only  Sharp's  carbine  in  view,  but  all  others 
which  have  been  used  in  our  cavalry  service  for  the 
last  twenty  years,  and  in  my  opinion  yours  is  supe- 
rior to  them  all  in  every  respect." 

The  Merrill  patent  breech-loading  rifle  is  said, 
by  its  proprietors,  to  be  "  the  result  of  a  great  deal 
of  experiment  by  the  inventor,  whose  vast  expe- 
rience and  long  practical  study  of  the  manufacture 
of  arms  both  in  America  and  Europe,  has  enabled 
him  to  give  to  the  world  this  great  improvement 
in  small  arms,  which  classes  him  among  the  most 
prominent  of  modern  inventors.  The  simplicity 
and  strength  of  construction  arrived  at  in  the  Merrill 


94:  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

rifle  are  only  equalled  by  its  extraordinary  range 
and  accuracy  of  fire. 

"  For  sporting  purposes  or  target  shooting,  it 
cannot  be  equalled,  as  it  has  attained  the  highest 
perfection  in  every  respect." 

Letters  and  certificates  from  the  highest  authori- 
ties fully  confirm  these  assertions ;  and  without 
multiplying  extracts,  it  is  sufficient  to  say  that 
these  are  but  samples  of  a  multitude  of  advertise- 
ments, each  of  which  affords  undeniable  proof  of  the 
very  great  superiority  of  the  weapon  it  describes 
over  all  others.  The  inexperiened  purchaser  who 
proposes  to  provide  himself  with  a  rifle,  may  well 
be  pardoned  if  he  finds  himself  at  his  wits'  end  in 
attempting  to  decide  upon  a  choice.  If,  in  his  per- 
plexity, he  seeks  the  advice  of  others,  whom  he  sup- 
poses to  be  familiar  with  the  subject,  it  is  altogether 
probable  that  he  will  but  add  to  his  confusion. 
Few  men  have  the  opportunity  or  taste  for  making 
comparative  trials  of  a  great  variety  of  guns,  and 
almost  every  one  soon  acquires  a  special  fancy  for 
some  particular  pattern,  and  urges  its  adoption  by 
others  with  the  persistency  which  is  so  common 
with  those  who  cannot  conceive  of  differences  of 
taste. 

In  the  midst  of  his  difficulties,  however,  the  pur- 
chaser may  glean  a  crumb  of  comfort  from  the  re- 
flection that  he  has  a  very  large  choice  of  really 


HINTS   TO   KIFLEMEN.  95 

excellent  instruments,  and  that  the  very  fact  of  the 
competition  of  so  many  varieties  is  a  guarantee  that 
there  will  be  no  falling  off  from  the  standard  of 
excellence  of  material  and  workmanship  on  the  part 
of  any  of  the  manufacturers,  whose  interests  are 
dependent  upon  the  maintenance  of  the  superiority 
they  claim  to  have  attained. 

Neither  can  it  be  denied — paradoxical  as  it  may 
appear — that  in  some  sense  there  is  or  may  be  truth 
in  the  assertions  of  every  one  of  them. 

Perfection,  in  all  points,  is  not  attainable ;  and 
it  is  for  individuals  to  ascertain  their  own  wants, 
and  ordnance  officers  to  decide  upon  those  of  the 
army,  and  select  the  arms  which  most  nearly  fulfil 
their  conception  of  the  standard  of  excellence. 

In  attempting,  therefore,  to  give  some  hints 
which  may  be  of  service  to  others  in  the  choice  of 
a  gun,  I  shall  confine  myself  to  the  explanation  of 
certain  principles,  whose  application  must  be  left  to 
the  individual  who  alone  is  capable  of  deciding 
upon  the  demands  of  his  own  tastes  or  necessities. 

If  the  object  be  to  procure  a  gun  merely  for  tar- 
get shooting  with  the  greatest  possible  precision 
nothing  superior  to  our  best  muzzle-loading  Amer- 
ican rifles  can  be  found.  Of  these  the  target  rifle, 
which  I  have  elsewhere  described,  may  be  taken  as 
the  model,  to  be  modified  in  weight,  caliber  and 
finish,  to  suit  the  tastes  of  the  purchaser.  By  re- 


96  HINTS   TO   KIFLEMEN. 

ducing  the  gun  to  ten  or  twelve  pounds'  weight,  and 
dispensing  with  the  telescope,  he  may  have  a  ser- 
viceable weapon  for  sporting  purposes ;  but  if  he 
dispenses  with  the  false  muzzle,  he  must  not  hope 
to  retain  the  degree  of  accuracy  which  is  its  dis- 
tinctive point  of  superiority  in  target  shooting  ;  for 
it  is  not  possible,  without  it,  to  be  certain  that  the 
elongated  bullet  is  inserted  perfectly  true.  This  is 
too  cumbersome  an  appendage,  and  involves  too 
much  time  in  its  use  to  be  admissible  for  field- 
service. 

I  refrain,  therefore,  from  giving  any  further 
description  of  these  guns  than  that  given  in  the 
chapter  on  the  target  rifle,  for  the  reason  that  I 
should  despair  of  adding  anything  of  real  value  to 
what  has  already  been  said  and  proved  by  able 
writers,  and  also  because  I  believe  the  great  major- 
ity of  my  readers  will  be  more  interested  in  a  dis- 
cussion of  the  comparative  advantages  of  such  guns 
as  are  more  available  for  active  service  in  the  field. 
Nine  out  of  ten  of  the  men  who  are  now  providing 
themselves  with  rifles  and  learning  to  use  them,  are 
incited  by  the  feeling  that  it  is  a  branch  of  educa- 
tion which  should  not  be  neglected  at  such  a  time 
as  the  present,  and  with  an  undefined  feeling  of 
possible  danger,  they  wish  to  provide  themselves 
with  the  most  efficient  means  of  self-protection.  No 
reasonable  man  can  deny  the  probability  that  emer- 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  97 

gencies  may  arise  during  the  settlement  of  the  prob- 
lems which  must  be  solved  before  the  present  storm 
subsides,  which  may  lead  to  turbulent  demonstra- 
tionsj  and  which  ambitious  and  unprincipled  men 
may  endeavor  to  seize  upon  to  overturn  our  liber- 
ties, if  we  are  unprepared  for  their  defence.  The 
danger  of  such  an  attempt  will  be  greatly  dimin- 
ished, and  its  chance  of  success,  if  attempted,  will 
be  much  less,  if  the  people  are  armed  and  familiar 
with  the  use  of  arms.  For  any  possible  purpose  of 
defence  or  sporting  service  to  which  they  are  likely 
to  apply  the  weapon,  a  gun  which  can  be  relied  on 
to  put  every  shot  into  a  ten-inch  ring  at  200  yards 
is  good  enough.  But  this  expression  needs  explana- 
tion. The  best  marksman  in  the  world  may  take  a 
gun  to  which  he  is  unused  and  before  he  becomes 
accustomed  to  its  shooting,  that  is,  before  he  learns 
the  exact  relation  of  its  line  of  sight  to  its  line  of 
fire,  he  can  do  no  good  shooting  with  it.  But  it  is 
easy  to  ascertain  this  by  a  little  practice,  and  having 
done  so,  the  capacity  of  the  weapon  may  be  very 
soon  decided.  It  will,  perhaps,  be  thought  a  waste 
of  words  to  make  such  an  assertion,  which  seems 
almost  self-evidfent ;  but  I  am  led  to  it  by  hearing 
it  recently  asserted  that  little  or  no  value  was  to  be 
attached  to  the  certificate  of  an  expert,  in  regard  to 
the  precision  of  a  rifle,  as  arrived  at  by  a  series  of 
experiments  in  shooting  with  it ;  and  the  assertion 
5 


98  HINTS   TO   BIFLEMEN. 

was  illustrated  by  the  statement  of  the  fact,  that  if 
two  of  the  best  marksmen  exchange  guns,  they  will 
do  no  better  than  other  men. 

This  is  only  true  in  a  limited  sense ;  and  it  is 
absurd  to  deduce  from  it  that  the  precision  of  any 
rifle  cannot  be  ascertained  by  shooting  it.  Any  ex- 
perienced rifleman,  by  firing  a  few  shots  from  a 
dead  rest,  aiming  always  exactly  at  the  same  point 
can  satisfy  himself  whether  the  gun  shoots  true. 
If  the  shots  are  grouped  together  above  or  below, 
or  on  either  side  of  the  point  aimed  at,  it  is  plain 
that  its  shooting  is  uniform ;  and  by  arranging  the 
sights  so  that  the  line  of  sight  may  coincide  with  the 
line  of  fire,  or  by  aiming  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
allow  for  the  variation,  the  error  may  be  easily  rec- 
tified. If,  however,  the  shots  wander,  and  strike 
on  every  side  of  the  point  aimed  at,  it  is  evident 
that  the  shooting  is  inaccurate,  and  no  degree  of 
skill  on  the  part  of  the  shooter  can  enable  him  to 
remedy  an  evil  which  it  is  impossible  to  estimate 
beforehand. 

I  have  seen  elaborately-finished  rifles  whose  at- 
tractive appearance  would  go  far  to  convince  an  in- 
experienced person,  that  such  beautiful  workman- 
ship would  never  be  expended  upon  a  worthless 
instrument — which  could  not  be  depended  upon  to 
place  five  shots  in  succession  in  a  two  feet  ring  at 
sixty  yards,  and  it  is  needless  to  add  that  such  a 


HINTS   TO    RIFLEMEN.  99 

weapon  possesses  no  more  intrinsic  value  than  a 
smooth-bored  musket. 

I  am  well  aware  that  a  large  class  of  riflemen 
whose  estimate  of  the  value  of  a  gun  is  based  upon 
its  capacity  to  make  a  string  of  shots  in  which  the 
measurement  of  fractions  of  an  inch  decides  the 
question  of  superiority,  will  regard  with  almost 
equal  contempt  the  gun  which  I  have  stated  to  be 
"  good  enough "  if  it  is  capable  of  putting  every 
shot  in  a  ten-inch  ring  at  200  yards.  To  such  men  I 
have  only  to  say  that,  in  so  far  as  such  shooting  as 
they  practise  is  done  for  experiment  in  ascertaining 
the  possible  accuracy  which  may  be  attained  in 
rifle  shooting,  I  regard  the  weapons  they  use  as 
valuable,  and  the  experiments  exceedingly  interest- 
ing. But  I  have  no  sympathy  whatever  with  the 
gambling  spirit  which  actuates  a  large  class,  who 
prize  a  rifle  solely  for  the  power  it  gives  them  to 
win  money — a  practice  which  tends  directly  to  de- 
grade and  bring  into  disrepute  a  noble  and  manly 
art. 

I  would  not  have  it  supposed,  from  this  expres- 
sion, that  I  am  tinctured  with  the  puritanical  spirit, 
which  would  emasculate  us,  by  forbidding  the  use 
of  whatever  is  liable  to  abuse ;  but,  on  the  contrary, 
it  is  precisely  because  I  detest  such  a  spirit  that  I 
am  impatient  of  the  application  of  any  artificial 


100  HINTS   TO   KIFLEMEN. 

stimulus  to  a  sport  whose  intrinsic  interest  is  suf- 
ficient to  satisfy  a  healthy  appetite. 

The  rifles  with  which  such  nice  work  is  done, 
can  never  be  made  available  for  any  practical  pur- 
pose ;  and  the  object  in  view  in  encouraging  a  taste 
for  rifle  practice  is  that  we  may  at  all  times  have  a 
body  of  men  who  are  familiar  with  the  use  of  service- 
able weapons.  Now  I  presume  it  will  not  be  de- 
nied, that  any  man  deserves  to  be  called  a  marks- 
man, who  at  off-hand  shooting  can  put  every  shot 
into  a  ten-inch  ring  at  200  yards  ;  and  if  a  gun  has 
been  proved  to  shoot  with  sufficient  accuracy,  to  do  it 
from  a  rest,  it  depends  solely  upon  the  skill  of  the 
shooter  whether  it  can  be  done  from  the  shoulder. 

This  standard  of  precision  is  attainable  by  guns 
which  are  in  every  way  available  for  service,  and 
for  all  practical  purposes  the  advantages  they  pos- 
sess are  far  more  than  a  balance  for  the  superior 
accuracy  which  is  attained  by  the  addition  of  such 
incumbrances  as  must  render  the  gun  useless,  except 
under  circumstances  which  only  occasionally  present 
themselves  in  military  service,  and  never  to  the 
sportsman. 

As  the  evidence  is  ample  and  incontrovertible 
that  the  standard  of  precision  I  have  indicated  is 
within  the  easy  attainment  of  many  of  the  breech- 
loading  rifles  which  are  now  in  the  market,  and  as 
their  superior  efficiency  in  all  other  respects  is  suf- 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  101 

ficiently  obvious  to  render  any  argument  unneces- 
sary, I  proceed  to  consider  the  advantages  and  dis- 
advantages of  some  of  the  different  patterns  in  order 
to  assist  the  reader  to  decide  for  himself  as  to  which 
is  best  adapted  to  his  wants. 

Breech-loading  guns  may  be  divided  into  two 
general  classes,  the  first  including  those  which  may 
be  loaded  with  loose  powder  and  ball,  or  a  paper, 
linen  or  metal  cartridge,  requiring  a  cap  for  its 
ignition,  and  second  those  which  use  a  metallic  car- 
tridge having  the  fulminating  composition  in  its 
base,  which  is  fired  by  a  blow  of  the  hammer 
directly  upon  the  cartridge  itself.  And  these  last 
may  be  again  divided  into  the  class  which  use  only 
a  single  cartridge,  and  require  reloading  after  each 
shot,  and  the  magazine,  or  repeating  rifles,  in  which 
a  number  of  cartridges  are  inserted,  in  a  receptacle 
prepared  for  them,  and  which  may  then  be  fired  in 
rapid  sucession  till  the  magazine  is  emptied. 

It  cannot  be  denied  that  the  metallic  cartridges 
possess  some  very  important  points  of  superiority 
over  any  other  kind  of  ammunition.  There  is  no 
form  in  which  ammunition  is  so  compact  and  so 
easily  portable.  They  are  perfectly  water-proof, 
and  may  lie  almost  any  length  of  time  under  water 
without  injury,  whereas  it  is  a  constant  source  of 
trouble  on  the  march,  and  in  camp  to  preserve  the 
ordinary  cartridges  from  injury  even  from  a  damp 


102  HINTS   TO   EIFLEMEN. 

atmosphere.  They  do  away  with  the  necessity  of 
using  percussion  caps,  which  especially  for  cavalry 
service  is  an  inestimable  advantage,  and  finally 
they  may  be  so  easily  withdrawn  and  replaced,  that 
a  miss-fire  occasions  only  the  loss  of  a  second  or  two, 
whereas  if  a  cap  fails  to  ignite  the  charge,  much 
time  is  often  lost  in  pricking  powder  into  the  tube, 
and  even  then  the  attempt  is  not  always  successful. 
On  the  other  hand,  it  is  objected  that  they  can 
only  be  prepared  at  the  factories,  and  if  the  supply 
is  exhausted  the  guns  are  of  no  more  value  than  so 
many  sticks,  as  they  can  only  be  used  with  the 
special  ammunition  provided  for  them.  That  this 
is  a  specious  objection  may  be  rendered  evident  by 
the  fact,  which  I  very  well  remember,  that  it  was 
urged  with  equal  earnestness  against  the  introduc- 
tion of  percussion  caps.  Those  who  make  it  do  not 
sufficiently  realize  the  fact  that  demand  creates  sup- 
ply, and  that  the  cartridges  will  be  as  abundant  in 
the  market  as  powder  or  caps,  as  long  as  they  are 
wanted  by  sportsmen,  while  for  military  use  it  is 
certainly  as  easy  to  keep  an  army  supplied  with  such 
ammunition  as  with  common  cartridges  and  caps. 
Another  objection  for  the  sportsman  is  that  he  is 
restricted  by  the  use  of  such  ammunition  to  pre- 
cisely the  same  quantity  and  quality  of  powder 
under  all  circumstances.  This  with  many  might 
be  considered  an  advantage,  as  saving  the  necessity 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  103 

of  measuring  the  charge  for  themselves ;  but  those 
who  are  fond  of  trying  experiments  with  different 
charges,  will  be  apt  to  be  impatient  under  such 
restriction. 

But  the  greatest,  and  indeed  the  only  serious 
objection  to  this  form  of  ammunition  remains  to  be 
noticed ;  and  I  have  been  greatly  surprised  to  find 
that  many  persons,  with  whom  I  have  conversed, 
had  not  thought  of  it,  till  I  suggested  it  to  them. 
I  allude  to  the  danger  of  explosion  from  concussion, 
owing  to  the  powder  being  always  directly  in  con- 
tact with  the  fulminating  composition. 

The  danger  from  this  source,  if  the  cartridges 
are  properly  constructed,  is  not  such  as  need  excite 
apprehension  of  explosion  from  the  ordinary  acci- 
dents to  which  they  might  be  exposed  in  transport- 
ation ;  but  the  difficulty  is  that  no  one  can  tell 
beforehand  whether  they  are  so  constructed  ;  and  if 
the  composition  contains  too  large  a  proportion  of 
explosive  material,  a  light  blow  may  produce  the 
effect.  I  have  thrown  the  cartridges  against  stones 
till  they  were  battered  out  of  shape,  and  have  ham- 
mered them  flat  upon  a  block  of  wood,  without  pro- 
ducing an  explosion — but  I  have  also  known  them 
to  be  exploded  while  lying  on  a  block  of  wood  and 
struck  with  a  wooden  mallet,  which  proves  that  the 
liability  to  explode  is  variable.  I  once  exploded 
one  which  had  been  hammered  flat  on  a  block  of 


104:  HINTS   TO   EIFLEMEN. 

wood,  by  laying  it  on  a  stone  and  striking  a  single 
light  blow  upon  it,  and  the  ball  struck  a  fence  100 
yards  distant  with  considerable  force.  I  would 
advise  no  one  to  try  experiments  of  this  kind  with 
them,  however,  as  they  are  by  no  means  safe.  On 
the  whole,  I  do  not  think  the  danger  of  accident  in 
ordinary  transportation  to  be  of  sufficient  impor- 
tance to  prevent  their  use  by  sportsmen. 

But  whatever  may  be  thought  of  the  self- 
exploding  cartridges  for  sportsmen's  use,  there  can 
be  no  doubt  of  their  liability  to  explode  when 
struck  by  shot.  I  have  repeatedly  fired  a  ball  into 
a  box  containing  ten  or  a  dozen  of  them,  and  never 
failed  to  explode  at  least  four  or  five,  blowing  the 
box  to  pieces  and  scattering  the  remains  of  the  car- 
tridges in  every  direction.  I  have  the  remains  of 
several  such  explosions  now  on  hand,  consisting  of 
shattered  shreds  of  copper,  cartridges  jammed  out 
of  shape,  and  bullets  transformed  into  shapeless 
masses  of  lead,  the  whole  bearing  evidence  of  a  per- 
formance which  it  would  be  anything  but  agreeable 
to  have  enacted  in  a  cartridge  box  hung  to  one's 
belt.  The  eifect,  therefore,  of  a  shot  striking  a  sol- 
dier's cartridge  box  would  be  disastrous  to  himself 
and  those  in  his  vicinity,  while  a  similar  accident  to 
an  ammunition  wagon  would  involve  very  certain 
destruction. 

General    Jacob's    rifle-shell   was    designed    ex- 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  105 

pressly  for  blowing  up  the  enemy's  ammunition 
wagons ;  but  if  the  ammunition  were  in  the  form 
of  self-exploding  cartridges,  no  shell  would  be  re- 
quired, as  the  effect  would  be  produced  by  any 
chance  or  accidental  shot  even  from  those  who  had 
it  in  charge. 

Notwithstanding  this  danger,  however,  the  ad- 
vantages of  these  cartridges  are  so  great  and  in 
practice  they  have  proved  so  satisfactory,  that  their 
experimental  use  has  elicited  such  commendations, 
as  to  lead  to  an  earnest  demand  for  their  extensive 
introduction  in  the  army.  It  is  not  surprising  that 
an  invention,  which  is  so  reliable  and  efficient  in 
action,  and  which  relieves  the  soldier  from  so  much 
of  the  care  and  uncertainty  to  which  the  common 
form  of  ammunition  is  necessarily  liable,  should  be 
enthusiastically  received,  and  continued  experience 
can  alone  decide  the  question,  whether  the  objec- 
tions I  have  mentioned  are  of  sufficient  importance 
to  balance  the  obvious  advantages.  The  "  needle- 
gun,"  whicji  is  equally  liable  to  the  danger  of  explo- 
sion from  a  shot,  and  is  much  less  convenient  and 
simple  in  its  arrangement,  has  been  exclusively 
adopted  in  the  Prussian  service.  This  gun  is  a 
breech-loader,  and  the  powder  is  fired  by  a  needle, 
which  pierces  the  whole  length  of  the  cartridge, 
and  strikes  a  copper  cap  containing  the  fulminating 
composition,  in  the  base  of  the  bullet,  so  that  the 
5* 


106  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

charge  is  first  ignited  at  the  end  next  the  bullet. 
Whatever  may  be  the  decision,  however,  in  regard 
to  the  use  of  self-exploding  ammunition,  there  can 
be  no  doubt  of  the  very  great  superiority  of  metallic 
cartridges  over  those  of  paper  or  cloth,  in  their 
facility  of  transportation  without  injury  from  moist- 
ure or  bruising,  as  well  as  their  convenience  and 
their  superior  adaptation  to  breech-loading  guns, 
and  those  invented  by  Dr.  Maynard  and  used  in 
his  rifle,  possess  all  of  these  advantages,  and  are  safer 
than  any  form  of  ammunition  that  has  yet  been  pro- 
duced, though  they  require  a  cap  or  its  equivalent  in 
the  form  of  the  Maynard  primer  for  their  ignition. 
If  the  latter  is  used,  th6ir  efficiency  is  equal  to  that 
of  the  self-exploding  cartridges  ;  and  it  is  asserted  by 
the  original  manufacturers,  that  the  primers  which 
were  made  at  the  U.  S.  arsenals,  after  the  purchase  of 
the  patent  by  the  Government,  and  which  proved  so 
inefficient  in  actual  service  as  to  cause  their  final 
rejection  were  not  made  according  to  the  original 
recipe,  but  were  subjected  to  various  modifications, 
which  caused  their  failure. 

For  invariable  delicate  accuracy  of  shooting 
there  is  no  doubt  of  the  superiority  of  the  Maynard 
cartridge  over  those  which  are  compressed  by  ma- 
chinery about  the  base  of  the  bullet ;  but  this  dif- 
ference is  not  of  sufficient  importance  to  constitute 
an  objection  in  ordinary  military  service. 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  107 

The  question  of  preference,  however,  still  re- 
mains between  the  guns  which  use  the  single  car- 
tridge and  require  loading  after  each  shot,  and  the 
magazine  or  repeating  guns. 

The  first  successful  application  of  the  repeating 
principle  to  firearms  in  modern  days,  was  that  of 
Col.  Colt,  and  notwithstanding  the  frequent  citing, 
by  those  who  would  detract  from  his  merit,  of  the 
fact  that  the  armories  of  Europe  contain  specimens 
of  revolving  guns,  made  as  long  ago  as  the  time  of 
Cromwell,  I  do  not  admit  that  he  is  any  the  less 
entitled  to  the  honor  of  the  invention. 

For,  inasmuch  as  the  gunmakers  of  Europe  had 
continued  for  three  hundred  years  to  manufacture 
their  arms  on  the  old-fashioned  plan  notwithstand- 
ing the  existence  of  those  revolvers^  the  inference  is 
not  only  a  fair  but  an  obvious  one,  that  no  small 
degree  of  ingenuity  was  required  to  adapt  the  prin- 
ciple to  modern  necessities  by  the  production  of  so 
perfect  a  weapon  as  that  of  Col.  Colt.  The  impor- 
tance and  value  of  the  invention  were  so  apparent, 
that  his  pistols  became  at  once  a  necessity  to  the 
whole  civilized  world ;  but  the  principle  was  not 
found  of  so  much  importance  in  its  application  to 
rifles  as  for  the  smaller  weapons,  which  only  come 
into  use  in  close  encounters,  where  no  time  is  afford- 
ed for  reloading,  and  where  the  contest  must  be  de- 
cided by  a  few  rapid  shpts.  Occasions  may  doubt- 


108  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

less  often  arise  in  the  course  of  an  action,  when  it 
would  be  exceedingly  desirable  to  be  able  to  pour 
upon  the  enemy  such  a  cataract  of  fire  as  might  be 
done  with  the  repeating  gun ;  but  in  considering 
the  question  of  general  utility,  it  is  never  safe  to  be 
governed  by  the  possible  advantages  arising  from 
the  occurrence  of  special  and  unusual  circumstances. 
The  repeating  guns  may,  indeed,  be  fired  with 
very  great  rapidity  till  tke  magazine  is  exhausted  ; 
bat  a  corresponding  delay  must  then  ensue  till  it  is 
replenished.  The  interval  between  the  shots  need 
be  only  about  the  time  required  to  cock  the  lock 
and  pull  the  trigger;  but  when  the  magazine  is 
emptied  it  must  be  refilled  by  a  process  occupying 
about  the  same  time  as  that  required  for  loading  an 
ordinary  muzzle  loader.  In  continuous  firing  the 
repeating  guns  possess  no  advantage  in  point  of 
time  over  those  which  use  but  a  single  cartridge, 
and  the  latter  possess  one  important  point  of  supe- 
riority in  the  fact  that  their  manipulation  involves 
only  a  constant  repetition  of  motions  so  simple  that 
they  may  be  performed  instinctively  and  without 
thought,  whereas  the  repeaters  require  a  replenish- 
ing of  the  magazine  when  exhausted,  which  is  com- 
paratively an  operation  of  time  and  care,  since  the 
accidental  insertion  of  a  cartridge  wrong  end  first, 
which  might  easily  occur  in  a  moment  of  intense 
excitement,  involves  delay  and  a  necessity  of  re- 


HINTS    TO    RIFLEMEN.  109 

moval  which  is  often  troublesome.  For  individual 
defence  against  numbers,  however,  the  value  of 
repeating  guns  is  inestimable.  In  the  defence  of  a 
house,  for  instance,  a  single  man  armed  with  a  re- 
peater, might  hold  at  bay  a  small  host  of  enemies  ; 
and  if  provided  with  a  pair  of  them,  so  that  they 
could  be  reloaded  in  succession,  which  might  be 
done  by  a  woman  or  a  child,  he  would  possess  the 
defensive  power  of  a  pretty  formidable  garrison. 
A  case  in  point  has  been  related  to  me  of  a  Union 
man  in  Kentucky,  who,  having  been  threatened  by 
his  disloyal  neighbors,  had  fitted  up  a  log  cabin 
near  his  house  as  a  place  of  retreat  and  defence  in 
case  of  attack. 

While  dining  with  his  family  he  was  attacked  by 
seven  guerrillas,  who  burst  into  the  room  and  fired 
several  shots,  one  of  which  broke  a  glass  in  the  hand 
of  his  wife,  but  luckily  all  missed  their  aim.  He 
sprang  to  his  feet  and  called  upon  them  if  they  were 
determined  to  murder  him,  not  to  do  it  in  the  pres- 
ence of  his  family,  but  allow  him  to  go  out  to  be 
shot.  To  this  they  agreed,  and  on  reaching  the 
door  he  started  for  the  cabin,  succeeded  in  reaching 
it,  and  seizing  a  Henry  rifle,  (which  fires  fifteen 
shots  in  succession  without  reloading,)  he  killed  the 
whole  seven  with  eight  shots.  He  is  now  in  com- 
mand of  a  company  of  cavalry,  which,  in  considera- 


110  HINTS    TO   RIFLEMEN. 

tion  of  this  exploit,  has  been  armed  by  the  State 
with  Henry  rifles. 

For  the  sportsman's  use  the  repeating  rifles  offer 
advantages  which  may  occasionally  prove  of  very 
great  value,  as  for  instance  on  discovering  a  number 
of  deer  together,  or  in  case  of  wounding  an  animal 
which  might  make  its  escape  or  prove  dangerous 
before  an  ordinary  gun  could  be  recharged.  Yet 
even  in  such  a  case  the  single-cartridge  guns  might 
often  be  reloaded  in  time.  I  know  an  instance  of  a 
fish-hawk  having  been  killed  on  the  wing  with  a 
Maynard  rifle,  which  was  first  fired  at  him  on  his 
perch,  and  then  reloaded  for  the  fatal  shot.  In  this 
case  the  Maynard  primer  was  used,  of  course,  as 
there  could  not  have  been  time  to  cap  as  well  as 
load  ;  but  the  same  facility  would  be  offered  by  any 
gun  using  the  metallic  cartridge  with  fulminating 
powder  in  its  base. 

The  breech-loading  guns  which  use  a  cartridge 
of  paper,  linen  or  metal,  and  require  also  the  use  of 
a  cap,  are  free  from  the  danger  of  accidental  explo  - 
sion  of  the  ammunition  to  which  those  are  liable 
which  use  the  copper  cartridge  with  the  fulminating 
powder  in  its  base.  None  of  these,  however,  can 
be  very  easily  used  with  loose  powder  and  ball 
except  Colt's,  and  for  the  sportsman's  use  I  consider 
a  paper  or  even  a  cloth  cartridge  to  be  an  objection* 
able  form  in  which  to  carry  the  ammunition.  I  al- 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  Ill 

ways  use  Colt's  with  loose  powder  and  ball,  and  find 
it  more  reliable  than  when  used  with  the  cartridge. 
It  takes  longer  to  reload  than  other  breech  loaders ; 
but  with  its  reserved  shots  it  meets  every  possible 
deficiency  in  that  respect  which  can  affect  the  de- 
mands of  the  sportsman.  It  is  very  rare  that  a 
necessity  or  an  opportunity  occurs  for  the  delivery 
of  more  than  two  shots  in  very  rapid  succession,  and 
probably  the  occasion  would  never  offer  for  dis- 
charging the  contents  of  all  the  chambers  without 
an  opportunity  to  reload. 

Having  now  considered  the  general  merits  of  the 
different  classes  of  guns,  I  proceed  to  describe  some 
of  the  best  varieties,  giving  in  most  cases  the  adver- 
tisement of  the  proprietor,  and  adding  my  own  com- 
ments as  I  have  had  opportunity  to  make  them. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

DESCRIPTION     OF    RIFLES. 

SHARPS'   RIFLE. 

No  breech-loading  gun  has  attained  a  more 
wide-spread  celebrity  than  this,  and  in  its  improved 
form,  it  is  probably  as  good  a  weapon  of  its  kind  as 
any  in  the  market.  I  give  below  the  statement  of 
the  manufacturers  in  regard  to  its  merit,  which  is 
certified  to  by  a  long  list  of  officers  and  others,  who 
have  thoroughly  tested  its  qualities  for  field  service. 

My  own  opinion  in  regard  to  this  and  other 
breech-loaders  of  the  same  kind,  that  is,  such  as  are 
loaded  with  a  common  paper  or  cloth  cartridge,  is 
that  they  are  better  adapted  to  military  use  than  to 
that  of  the  sportsman,  unless  it  be  for  shooting 
buffaloes,  or  other  very  large  game.  For  reasons 
which  will  be  given  in  my  description  of  the  May- 
nard  rifle,  and  which  I  have  found  to  hold  good  in 
practice,  I  do  not  believe  they  can  be  relied  on  for 
that  invariable  nice  accuracy  which  every  sports- 


HINTS   TO   EIFLEMEN.  113 

man  desires  to  secure,  however  admirably  they  may 
be  adapted  for  army  use,  or  for  rough  service  on 
the  frontiers.  The  cartridges  prepared  for  these  ri- 
fles by  the  company  are  of  stout  linen,  strong 
enough  to  bear  rough  handling,  the  base  only  being 
of  paper,  through  which  the  powder  is  ignited  by 
the  explosion  of  the  cap. 

The  gun  is  thus   described   by   the  manufac- 
turers : 

SHARPS'  patent   improved  breech-loading  and  self-priming 
Rifle,  Carbine,  and  Shot-gun. 

These  arms  have  now  attained  the  highest  perfection  in 
every  respect.  The  proprietors  have  adopted  all  the  improve- 
ments that  ten  years  of  experience  could  suggest.  The  primes 
are  carefully  prepared,  are  water-proof  and  surefire  ;  the  arms 
and  their  parts  are  of  new  and  most  approved  patterns,  the 
gas-check  shuts  off  every  particle  of  escape,  and  the  manufac- 
turers challenge  the  world  to  produce  an  arm  of  superior 
material,  strength,  accuracy,  force,  safety,  or  rapidity  and 
certainty  of  fire.  They  are  self-priming,  with  Sharps'  primer, 
and  adapted  to  the  use  of  the  army  percussion  cap.  The 
barrel  is  of  cast  steel,  and  its  chamber  or  ball-seat  is  counter- 
bored,  slightly  conical,  the  exact  shape  and  diameter  of  the 
ball,  so  that  the  ball,  when  properly  forced  to  its  seat,  has  its 
axis  exactly  coincident  with  that  of  the  bore ;  the  rear  of  the 
bore  contains  an  adjustable  bouching,  and  the  space  between 
its  forward  end  and  the  base  of  the  ball  admits  the  clamp 
and  rod,  with  which  the  bouching  is  driven  back  in  adjust- 
ing it. 

Numerous  reports  from  the  ordnance,  and  other  army 

boards,  and  letters  and  certificates  on  file  in  the  Ordnance 

Office  at  Washington,  attest  the  superior  quality  and  efficien- 

y  of  Sharps'  rifles  and  carbines,  whicli  have  withstood  every 


114  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

test,  and  the  most  satisfactory  of  all,  ten  years'  service  in  the 
field  in  the  hands  of  United  States  troops,  and  on  board  our 
ships  of  war.  They  have  also  been  supplied,  in  large  num- 
bers, to  the  British,  Mexican,  Peruvian,  Chilian,  and  Yene- 
zuelian  governments,  and  are  highly  esteemed  in  the  service. 
More  than  this,  it  is  the  only  breech-loading  arm  of  any  ac- 
count in  which  loose  powder  and  ball  can  be  practically  used 
with  effect  or  safety ;  others  requiring  a  very  expensive  and 
peculiar  kind  of  fixed  ammunition,  which  cannot  be  prepared 
in  the  field,  and  is  of  no  service  except  it  be  used  in  the  par- 
ticular style  of  arm  for  which  it  was  prepared. 

The  great  superiority  of  our  arm  is  fully  established  in  the 
experience  of  this  country  in  its  present  war. 

It  is  the  arm  demanded  by  and  furnished  to  the  sharp- 
shooters, after  fully  testing  the  various  other  styles  presented, 
not  without  injury  to  themselves  in  some  cases,  and  it  is  the 
first  choice  of  the  masses  of  both  infantry  and  cavalry  as  a 
service  arm. 

Sporting  rifles  have  been  sold  in  such  great  numbers  that 
their  merits  are  fully  appreciated.  The  recent  improvements 
having  removed  the  only  defect,  the  escape  of  gas  at  the 
joint,  these  arms  are  now  recommended  as  being  the  most 
perfect  arm  of  the  times. 

In  point  of  material,  workmanship,  and  accuracy  or  ra- 
pidity of  fire,  as  compared  with  any  other  muzzle-loading, 
breech-loading,  or  revolving  firearm  that  can  be  produced, 
we  say  try  it,  and  if  the  trial  does  not  attest  its  superiority 
we  shall  be  disappointed. 

At  the  siege  of  Arequipa,  Peru,  in  March,  1858,  over  600 
of  Yivanco's  men  were  shot  down  at  the  barricades  by  Cas- 
tilla's  attacking  forces,  armed  with  Sharps'  rifles,  sustaining 
only  a  trifling  loss. 

In  April,  1858,  Colonel  Suasue,  at  the  head  of  1,000  men 
of  Yidauri's  force,  armed  with  Sharps'*  carbines,  attacked 
Governor  Manero,  in  command  of  3,000  men  of  the  govern- 
ment forces  at  San  Luis,  in  Mexico,  and  achieved  a  most 
signal  victory,  killing  upward  of  600  men,  taking  the  city, 


HINTS   TO    RIFLEMEN.  115 

and  making  prisoners  of  Governor  Manero  and  three  of  his 
colonels,  with  a  slight  loss. 

About  the  1st  of  September,  1858,  Colonel  Wright's  com- 
mand, principally  armed  with  Sharps'  carbines,  were  engaged 
with  the  party  of  Indians  that  had  previously  defeated  Col- 
onel Steptoe's  forces,  when  armed  with  the  old  muskets  and 
carbines.  The  engagement  resulted  in  a  most  disastrous 
rout  and  defeat  of  the  Indians,  with  a  loss  of  fifty  warriors 
killed  and  wounded,  while  of  Colonel  Wright's  forces  not  a 
man  was  harmed. 

J.  C.  PALMER,  President. 

SAMUEL  H.  GREEN,  Secretary. 
HARTFORD,  January  1st,  1863. 

From  a  great  number  of  certificates  published 
by  the  proprietors  in  their  advertising  pamphlet,  I 
select  the  following,  which  is  the  only  one  testify- 
ing directly  to  the  accuracy  of  the  weapon  in  com- 
parison with  another  gun.  The  record  of  the  trial 
is  defective  in  not  stating  the  total  or  average  dis- 
tance of  the  shots  from  the  centre.  It  is  an  inter- 
esting statement,  however,  and  is  valuable  for  the 
testimony  it  bears  on  the  general  value  of  breech- 
loaders for  military  use,  which,  I  am  happy  to  find, 
coincides  with  opinions  I  have  elsewhere  expressed. 

MARINE  BARRACKS,         ) 
Washington,  D.  C.,  Feb.  6th,  1860.  f 

Sir : — I  herewith  submit  for  your  consideration,  the  result 
of  the  trials  made  as  to  the  comparative  merit  of  Sharps'  im- 
proved rifle  and  the  rifle  musket  now  in  use  in  the  marine 
corps. 

I  selected  for  the  trial  a  recruit  uninstructed  in  the  man- 


116 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 


ual  of  either,  and  the  following  table  is  the  result  of  the 
firing : 


MUSKET. 

No.  of  rounds  fired  at  100  yds., 
Hit,         
Missed,      .... 

No.  of  rounds  fired  at  200  yds., 
Hit,         .        .        .        .        . 

30 
13 
17 

5 
4 

SHARPS'  RIFLE. 

No.  of  rounds  fired  at  100  yds., 
Hit,  
Missed,        .... 

No.  of  rounds  fired  at  200  yds., 
Hit,  

40 
35 
5 

5 

4 

Missed,      .... 

No.  of  rounds  fired  at  300  yds., 
Hit,         

1 

15 
3 

Missed,        .... 

No.  of  rounds  fired  at  300  yds., 
Hit, 

1 

15 
9 

Missed,      .... 

No.  of  rounds  fired  at  450  yds., 
Hit,         

12 

10 
00 

Missed,       .... 

No.  of  rounds  fired  at  450  yds.,* 
Hit,  

6 

7 
5 

Missed,      .... 

10 

Missed,                               . 

s 

Recapitulation. 
Total  number  of  rounds,    . 
Hit 

60 
20 

Recnpitula  tion. 
Total  number  of  rounds, 
Hit,  ...... 

.    67 
53 

Missed,      .... 

40 

Missed,        .... 

14 

After  Sharps'  arm  had  been  fired  100  times  and  the  mus- 
ket 50  times,  I  placed  the  latter  in  the  hands  of  a  recruit  who 
had  never  loaded  a  musket,  and  directed  him  to  commence 
firing.  During  two  minutes  he  fired  four  times,  and  hit  the 
target  once.  With  Sharps',  in  the  same  time,  and  under  the 
same  circumstances,  he  fired  nine  times,  and  hit  the  target 
eight,  showing  a  great  superiority  in  Sharps'  rifle  over  the 
musket  for  precision,  and  fully  equal  in  point  of  range.  The 
difference  in  rapidity  of  loading  and  firing  was  vastly  in  fa- 
vor of  Sharps'  rifle,  being  as  4  or  6  to  1 — and  I  also  noticed 
what  seemed  to  me  to  be  a  fact  of  great  importance  in  actual 
service,  that  while  the  marine  who  exercised  the  musket  was 
giving  unremitted  observation  to  the  arm  during  the  process 
of  loading,  and  remained  in  a  fixed  position,  the  operator 
having  Sharps'  rifle  could  load  instantly  at  a  walk  or  run, 
keeping  his  eye  on  other  objects,  the  arm  not  requiring  the 
least  observation  except  at  the  instant  of  firing.  I  have  seen 
it  stated  that  celerity  of  loading  and  firing  might  be  found 
objectionable,  as  the  soldier  would  too  soon  expend  his  am- 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  117 

munition.  I  had  this  matter  in  consideration  during  the  tri- 
als, and  I  am  fully  convinced  that  there  is  no  force  to  such 
an  objection.  The  soldier  in  battle,  possessed  of  a  gun  that 
can  be  instantly  reloaded,  keeping  his  eye  on  the  foe,  confi- 
dent of  his  power  and  strength  (that  he  is  always  ready), 
naturally  is  inspired  with  courage  and  self-possession,  which 
is  valuable  to  the  soldier. 

On  the  other  hand,  armed  with  the  muzzle-loading  rifle, 
the  soldier's  severest  trial  occurs  after  he  has  discharged  his 
piece,  and  during  the  interval  of  reloading ;  hence  it  is,  after 
an  engagement,  so  many  arms  are  found  disabled  by  the  in- 
sertion of  the  ball  below  the  powder,  or  double  or  treble 
loading. 

I  can  see  no  reason  to  justify  the  idea  that  a  soldier,  qual- 
ified with  an  arm  possessing  great  celerity  of  fire,  is  likely  to 
waste  his  ammunitiou  at  the  first  sight  of  a  distant  enemy ; 
but,  on  the  contrary,  in  my  opinion,  the  soldier  would  care- 
fully reserve  his  strength  until  he  came  to  the  thickest  of  the 
fight. 

It  seems  to  me  that  the  efficiency  of  the  soldier  can  in  no 
wise  be  disparaged  by  the  fact  that  he  has  no  time  or  ob- 
servation comparatively  to  bestow  in  loading  his  weapon. 

On  my  return  from  practice,  the  arms  were  put  away 
without  cleaning  for  one  week,  when  both  were  examined ; 
and  while  the  present  service  musket  needed  the  attention 
of  the  armorer  at  the  armory,  and  much  time  to  put  it  in  or- 
der, Sharps'  rifle  was  easily  cleaned  by  myself  at  the  office. 

Sharps'  arm  is  simple  in  its  construction,  and  can  be  han- 
dled by  the  most  inexperienced  soldier. 

The  use  of  Sharps'  carbine  for  the  last  seven  years  in  the 
army,  has  shown  its  efficiency  as  a  service  arm  in  the  field, 
sufficiently  to  authorize  its  adoption  in  that  branch  of  the 
service,  and  there  is  no  other  test  but  field  service  which 
would,  in  my  opinion,  warrant  the  adoption  of  any  arm. 

The  objections  that  have  been  heretofore  made  to  this 
gun  of  escapement  of  gas  at  the  breech,  waste  of  powder  by 
the  cut-off,  difficulty  of  inserting  the  cartridge  without  burst- 


118  HINTS    TO   RIFLEMEN. 

ing  it,  paper  left  behind  in  the  chamber,  have  all  been  ob- 
viated. 

I  feel  authorized,  in  view  of  all  the  facts  connected  with 
this  arm  in  the  service,  most  respectfully  to  recommend  its 
adoption  to  the  marine  corps,  believing,  as  I  do,  that  such 
action  on  the  part  of  the  Government  will  increase  the  effi- 
ciency of  that  force  more  than  double  its  present  power. 
Respectfully, 

J.  GREEN, 

1st  Lieutenant  U.  S.  Marines. 
To  Col.  JOHN  HARRIS, 

Commandant  Marine  Corps. 

I  have  received  through  a  friend  an  interesting 
communication  from  an  officer  of  the  United  States 
Sharpshooters,  in  which  he  says  : 

"  Col.  Berdan,  who  has  had  more  than  a  year 
of  active  service  on  which  to  base  his  opinion,  con- 
siders the  Sharps'  improved  rifles  to  be  far  superior 
to  any  other  thus  far.  In  all  essential  points  they 
are  superior  to  muzzle-loading  rifles  for  active  ser- 
vice. The  only  point  in  which  any  muzzle-loader 
has  the  superiority,  is  with  those  in  which  the  ball 
takes  the  groove,  and  finds  its  centre  while  being 
rammed  down." 


MERRILL'S  PATENT  BREECH-LOADING  RIFLE. 

The  annexed  illustrations,  being  a  representation 
of  a  sporting  rifle  of  this  pattern,  and  of  two  por- 


HINTS    TO    RIFLEMEN. 
MERRILL  RIFLE  IN  POSITION  FOR  LOADING. 


119 


120  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

MERRILL  RIFLE  IN  POSITION  FOR  CLEANING. 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 


121 


tions  of  the  military  rifle,  showing  MERRILI'  SPORTING  RIFL*. 
very  clearly  the  peculiarities  of  its 
construction,  will  enable  the  read- 
er to  get  a  very  distinct  conception 
of  its  appearance  and  mode  of  use. 

I  have  not  had  an  oppor- 
tunity of  testing  it,  but  have 
formed  a  favorable  opinion  of  its 
powers  from  the  representations 
of  reliable  persons  who  have 
tried  it. 

I  annex  a  description  of  the 
gun,  and  also  several  letters,  se- 
lected from  a  multitude  publish- 
ed in  the  advertising  pamphlet 
of  the  company. 

The  Merrill  Patent  Firearm  Manu- 
facturing Company,  in  offering  their 
arms  to  the  public,  take  this  means  of 
informing  those  not  acquainted  with 
the  arms  of  their  manufacture,  that  the 
Merrill  rifle  is  the  result  of  a  great  deal 
of  experiment  by  the  inventor,  "  Mr. 
James  H.  Merrill,  of  Baltimore,"  whose 
vast  experience  and  long  practical 
study  in  the  manufacture  of  arms,  both 
in  America  and  Europe,  has  enabled 
him  to  give  to  the  world  this  great 
improvement  in  small  arms,  which 
classes  him  among  the  most  prominent  of  modern  inventors. 

The  simplicity  and  strength  of  construction  arrived  at  in 
6 


122  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

the  Merrill  rifle,  are  only  equalled  by  its  extraordinary  range 
and  accuracy  of  fire ;  and  the  efficiency  of  the  arm  not  being 
dependent  on  any  patent  metallic  or  india-rubber  cartridge 
case,  but  using  the  simple  paper  cartridge,  or  loose  powder 
and  ball,  and  the  ordinary  percussion  cap  (to  be  had  at  any 
country  store  or  trading  station),  gives  them  great  advan- 
tages over  arms  depending  on  fixed  or  regularly  prepared 
ammunition,  and  makes  them  justly  preferred,  not  only  on 
the  frontier,  but  wherever  a  rifle  is  required.  Having  been 
approved  of  by  the  United  States  Government,  after  being 
subjected  to  the  most  severe  tests  by  both  the  Army  and 
Navy  Departments,  and  both  having  ordered  them  for  ser- 
vice, it  is  with  entire  confidence  they  are  offered  to  the 
public. 

Another  advantage  the  Merrill  plan  possesses  is,  that  it 
can  be  easily  applied  to  muzzle-loading  arms  at  a  small  cost, 
without  restocking,  altering  the  lock,  or  changing  the  general 
appearance^  or  diminishing  the  strength  of  the  arm.  The  al- 
teration of  muzzle-loaders  to  the  Merrill  plan  of  breech-load- 
ing, has  been  practically  tested  by  the  United  States  Govern- 
ment with  the  most  entire  success,  and  has  placed  in  the 
hands  of  the  troops  an  arm  that  cannot  be  surpassed,  and 
also  at  a  small  cost. 

For  sporting  purposes  or  target  shooting,  the  Merrill  rifle 
cannot  be  equalled,  as  it  has  attained  the  highest  perfection 
in  every  respect.  The  barrels  are  of  the  best  material,  and 
the  chambers  are  bored  out  to  the  exact  size  of  the  conical 
ball  which  they  use,  so  that  the  plunger  which  puts  the  car- 
tridge in  its  place  forces  the  point  of  the  ball  firmly  into  the 
grooves  or  rifling  of  the  barrel,  thereby  ensuring  its  going 
straight  to  the  mark,  and  not  turning,  as  conical  balls  fre- 
quently do,  when  fired  from  other  rifles. 

The  sporting  rifles  are  fitted  with  globe  sights  of  the  most 
approved  pattern,  which  ensures  fine  shooting.  These  rifles 
have  been  fired  five  hundred  times  without  cleaning,  and  any 
nuniber  of  shots  can  be  discharged  without  any  change  tak- 
ing place  in  the  working  of  the  machinery.  This  is  owing 


HINTS   TO   BIFLEMEN.  123 

to  there  being  no  escape  of  gas,  which,  when  escaping,  causes 
what  has  been  termed  dogging  in  other  breech-loaders,  but 
which  can  never  occur  with  the  Merrill  rifle,  as  the  plunger 
or  breech-pin  is  reamed  out  so  as  to  make  an  expansive 
spring,  and  the  cavity  being  filled  up  with  copper,  upon 
which  the  force  and  heat  of  the  explosion  act  at  the  moment 
of  discharge,  causes  the  plunger  to  expand  as  much  as  the 
barrel  will  allow  it,  or,  in  other  words,  to  keep  up  with  the 
expansion  of  the  barrel  or  surrounding  surfaces,  and  thereby 
prevent  escape  of  gas,  which  not  only  clogs  up  the  working 
parts  of  a  gun  when  escaping,  but  causes  great  loss  of  power. 
Thus,  no  gas  escaping  from  the  Merrill  rifle,  accounts  for  its 
having  more  penetration  than  other  breech-loaders.  Attention 
is  respectfully  called  to  the  recommendations  on  the  follow- 
ing pages,  and  any  further  information  will  be  given,  on  ap- 
plication, by  mail  or  in  person,  to  the  Merrill  Patent  Firearm 
Manufacturing  Company,  Baltimore,  Md. 

Letter  from  Major-General  JOHN  A.  Dix,  Command- 
ing Middle  Department. 

FORT  McHENEY,  October  5th,  1861. 

Messrs.  MEKRILL,  THOMAS  &  Co. 

GENTLEMEN  : 

I  have  given  a  thorough  trial  to  your  "  Breech-Loading 
Carbine,"  and  I  have  seen  no  arm  of  this  description  which  I 
like  so  much.  It  is  easily  and  rapidly  loaded,  is  perfectly 
safe,  shoots  well,  with  great  accuracy,  and  is  of  long  range. 
I  doubt  if  there  is  any  arm  which  combines  all  these  advan- 
tages in  the  same  degree.  I  have  also  tried  your  rifle,  con- 
structed on  the  same  principle,  and  it  seems  to  me  to  merit 
the  same  praise  ;  and  I  wish  those  you  have  on  hand  could 
be  obtained  for  some  of  the  companies  under  my  command. 
I  made  a  requisition  for  1,000  to  arm  the  Fourth  "Wisconsin 

Volunteers. 

******* 

With  my  very  best  wishes  for  your  success, 

I  am,  respectfully,  yours,        JNO.  A.  Dix. 


124:  HINTS    TO   RIFLEMEN. 

Extract  from  a  letter  from  A.  C.  GILLEM,  1st  Lieuten- 
ant,  1st  Artillery,  U.  8.  Array. 

FORT  BROWN,  TEXAS,  August  9th,  1860. 

MY  DEAR  Sm : 

#         .  #  *  *  *  *  * 

Now  as  to  the  gun,  or,  rather,  rifle,  it  has  been  my  constant 
companion  for  nearly  two  years.  I  have  used  it  in  all  sea- 
sons, and  in  all  kinds  of  weather ;  in  fact,  I  have  never 
marched  without  it,  and  during  that  time  it  has  never  failed, 
either  firing  or  in  the  mechanism.  I  can  fire  it  five  times  to 
any  man's  four,  with  Sharps',  and  I  find  it  very  easy  to  make 
the  cartridges.  Have  any  of  them  been  ordered  by  the  De- 
partment ?  get  the  Secretary  to  order  fifty,  and  I  think  the 
report  of  any  cavalry  officer  would  be  favorable.  I  prefer 
them  infinitely  to  Sharps' ;  neither  of  mine,  carbine  or  rifle, 
has  ever  been  out  of  order.  I  only  wish  I  had  brought  out 
a  sporting  rifle  of  about  sixty  balls  to  the  pound  (round  ball 
weight).  I  shall  be  happy  to  hear  from  you,  and  of  your  suc- 
cess. Yours  sincerely,  A.  C.  GILLEM. 
JAS.  H.  MERRILL,  Esq. 

Letter  from  Captain  JACOB  HESS,  21  st  Regt.  Indiana 
Volunteers. 

HEADQUARTERS,  21ST  REGT.  INDIANA  VOLS.,  ) 
FORT  MARSHALL,  BALTIMORE,  January  17th,  1862.         j" 

Messrs.  MERRILL,  THOMAS  &  Co 

GENTLEMEN  : 

My  company  having  armed  themselves  with  your  "  Breech- 
Loading  Infantry  Rifle,"  I  challenge  the  world  to  compete 
with  them,  using  any  other  weapon.  A  target  placed  at  the 
distance  of  one  thousand  yards  or  under,  is  riddled  to  atoms 
by  a  squad  of  six  or  eight  men  at  every  fire.  I  have  tested 
the  qualities  of  your  rifle  until  I  am  satisfied  it  merits  all  the 
praise  bestowed  upon  it.  The  facility,  rapidity,  and  ease 
with  which  it  can  be  used,  have  no  equal.  The  ingenuity  and 
simplicity  which  celebrate  your  gun  far  supersede  any  that 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  125 

has  come  under  my  observation.  Let  the  noble  men  of  the 
gallant  Twenty-first  sum  up  their  interests  as  to  what  they 
need  to  sustain  their  honor  in  this  deplorable  war,  and 
equip  themselves  with  the  "Merrill  Breech-Loading  Rifle," 
and  then  they  can  laugh  at  opposition. 

In  conclusion,  permit  me  to  say,  I  hope,  that  you  will  re- 
gard my  foregoing  recommendation  in  the  same  light  that  it 
is  meant. 

I  am  your  obedient  servant, 

JACOB  HESS, 
Captain  Co.  K,  21st  Reg.  Ind.  Vols. 

Letter  from  J.  U.  SIIALER,  Esq.,  Inventor  of  the 
"Shaler  Sectional  Bullet." 

BROOKLYN,  N.  Y. 

Messrs.  MERRILL,  THOMAS  &  Co. 

Baltimore,  Md. 
GENTLEMEN  : 

In  testing  the  qualities  of  the  "  Merrill  Breech-Loading 
Rifle,"  by  firing  my  sectional  bullets,  my  expectations  are 
more  than  realized.  Your  rifle  makes  better  hitting,  and  at 
a  longer  range,  and  with  less  powder,  than  any  arm  I  have 
ever  used,  either  muzzle  or  breech-loading.  My  sectional 
bullet  weighs  700  grains,  and  your  carbine  fires  them  with  40 
grains  of  powder,  of  the  regulation  grade,  a  result  which  I 
have  never  been  able  to  accomplish  with  any  other  arm.  The 
objection  I  have  heretofore  had  to  breech-loading  arms  is 
overcome  by  the  use  of  yours,  for  there  is  no  escape  of  gas  at 
the  breech,  and  the  adjustment  is  simple  and  perfect,  which 
is  a  valuable  consideration  to  the  soldier  and  also  sportsman. 
It  is  not  so  much  trouble  to  keep  your  breech-loader  in  order 
as  it  is  the  muzzle-loaders. 

Being  satisfied  by  actual  demonstration  that  your  breech- 
loading  rifle  possesses  all  the  qualities  to  make  it  good,  and 
efficient  for  the  different  purposes  for  which  arms  are  used, 
I  can  cheerfully  recommend  it  to  the  public. 

I  am,  respectfully,  yours,  J.  U.  SHALER, 

625  Pacific  street,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 


126  HINTS   TO   KIFLEMEN. 

ASHCKOFT'S  RIFLE. 

This  gun  has  not  yet  been  manufactured  for 
sale,  and  it  seems  doubtful  whether  the  proprietors 
of  the  patent  will  succeed  in  their  efforts  to  secure 
the  capital  necessary  for  an  enterprise  involving 
such  an  expenditure  of  time  and  money  as  is  essen- 
tial to  the  production  of  any  gun  in  large  quan- 
tities. 

Yet  I  have  had  such  convincing  proof  of  the  ex- 
cellence of  the  weapon  for  a  military  arm,  that  I 
should  consider  my  work  incomplete  without  a  de- 
scription of  the  gun  and  a  statement  of  its  powers. 

The  breech-block  is  constructed  with  a  cylindri- 
cal gas-check,  which  enters  the  breech  of  the  barrel, 
and  shuts  against  a  shoulder,  and  this  gas-check  be- 
ing slightly  concave  in  its  external  form,  the  effect 
of  the  explosion  is  to  straighten  and  thereby  to 
lengthen  it,  so  as  to  press  it  against  the  shoulder 
and  effectually  to  prevent  the  slightest  escape  of 
gas.  The  proof  that  it  does  so,  is  afforded  by  the 
fact  that  I  have  myself  fired  the  gun  300  times,  and 
afterward  saw  the  same  gun  fired  500  times  in  suc- 
cession, without  cleaning,  and  the  working  of  the 
parts  was  as  easy  at  the  last  as  at  first,  and  the  gas- 
check  itself  remained  as  bright  and  unsullied  as  be- 
fore it  was  used,  which  could  not  have  been  the 
case  had  there  been  any  escape  of  gas. 

The  motion  of  the  guard  for  opening  the  breech 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  127 

is  the  same  as  in  Sharps',  but  the  effect  is  to  with- 
draw the  breech-block  by  a  backward  movement, 
the  facility  of  which  could  not  be  affected  by  the 
clogging  of  the  parts  were  they  to  become  foul. 

The  whole  arrangement  of  the  working  parts  is 
admirably  simple  and  effective,  and  no  breech 
piece  of  solid  metal  could  be  more  safe  or  unyield- 
ing than  this,  when  fixed  in  position,  and  by  a  very 
simple  arrangement,  it  is  impossible  to  fire  the  gun 
till  this  position  is  attained. 

I  have  twice  acted  by  invitation  as  one  of  a 
committee  to  test  the  powers  of  this  gun,  and  had 
also  one  of  them  in  my  possession  for  a  consider- 
able time,  during  which  I  subjected  it  to  a  very  great 
variety  of  experiments,  and  have  always  expressed 
the  opinion,  to  which  I  still  adhere,  that  it  is  the 
best  gun  of  the  kind  that  has  yet  been  produced.  In 
range  and  accuracy  it  is  equal  to  the  best  muzzle- 
loading  military  rifles,  and  I  know  of  no  objection- 
able feature  either  in  its  action  or  appearance.  In 
a  comparative  trial  of  penetration  with  Sharps'  rifle 
which  I  witnessed,  it  proved  superior  at  every  shot, 
and  after  ten  shots  with  each,  the  average  penetra- 
tion of  the  Ashcroft  was  found  to  be  an  inch  more 
than  that  of  Sharps'  rifle,  though  the  cartridges 
were  taken  indiscriminately  from  the  same  package. 


128  HINTS   TO   KIFLEMEN. 

GREENE'S  RIFLE. 

This  arm  was  patented  by  Lieut.-Col.  J.  Durell 
Greene,  U.  S.  A.,  November  17th5  1857,  and  is 
now  manufactured  at  Worcester,  Mass. 

As  the  manufacture  was  begun  some  years  be- 
fore the  commencement  of  the  troubles  which  have 
caused  so  great  a  demand  for  arms  at  home,  a  mar- 
ket was  sought  for  it  abroad,  and  certificates  of  its 
efficiency  and  excellence  of  the  very  highest  charac- 
ter are  given  in  the  advertising  pamphlet  from 
English,  French,  and  Eussian  officers  appointed  by 
their  respective  Governments  to  test  and  report 
upon  its  capacity.  The  French  committee  of  which 
Mt  Minie  was  at  the  head,  report  that  "  There  was 
not  the  least  difficulty  in  charging ;  not  the  least 
fouling  at  the  breech  or  chamber ;  and  no  escape  of 
gas  apparent.  The  arm  is  manipulated  with  the 
greatest  facility,  and  in  its  whole  fitting  up  and 
keeping  is  convenient  both  for  the  bivouac  and  for 
soldiers  little  experienced.  The  whole  is  very  solid, 
and  not  liable  to  get  out  of  order  by  firing  or  by  the 
jolting  of  the  horse,  or  on  the  march.  The  charg- 
ing is  rapid  and  easy,  and  without  any  danger  to 
the  soldier,  and  the  cartridge  is  very  easy  to  make." 

The  reports  of  committees  of  officers  of  the  Eng- 
lish and  Russian  service  correspond  with  this,  and 
a  contract  had  been  entered  into  with  the  latter 


HINTS   TO   KIFLEMEN.  129 

Government  for  the  delivery  of  3,000  of  the  guns 
before  the  commencement  of  our  domestic  troubles. 
The  gun  is  a  breech-loader,  and  is  constructed 
on  a  principle  entirely  different  from  any  other  I 
have  described.  A  cylinder  of  iron  containing  a 
breech-plug  which  slides  backward  and  forward 
within  it,  is  inserted  at  the  breech  of  the  barrel, 
and  moved  forward  by  a  projecting  knob,  which 
moves  in  a  slot  on  the  top  of  the  barrel,  till  it  closes 
the  breech,  when  it  is  turned  to  the  right  and  se- 
cured in  place  by  shoulders.  The  knob  is  held  by 
a  catch,  which  may  be  loosened  by  pressing  a  pin 
at  the  breech  of  the  barrel.  The  hammer  is  on  the 
under  side,  in  front  of  the  guard,  and  the  nipple  is 
so  arranged  that  the  fire  is  first  communicated  at 
the  forward  end  of  the  cartridge,  thus  insuring  the 
ignition  of  all  of  the  powder.  The  cartridge  has  the 
bullet  in  its  base,  with  a  greased  wad  between  it 
and  the  powder,  which,  with  the  ballet,  packs  the 
joint  perfectly  at  every  discharge,  and  prevents  the 
slightest  escape  of  gas.  After  each  discharge,  this 
bullet  is  pushed  forward  by  the  breech-plug  to  the 
end  of  the  chamber,  the  cylinder  is  then  drawn 
back,  and  the  cartridge  inserted  in  the  slot  which  is 
thus  opened.  The  cylinder  is  then  pushed  forward 
pressing  the  cartridge  before  it,  and  the  knob  being 
turned  to  the  side  and  the  nipple  capped,  the  gun  is 
ready  to  fire.  The  movements  are  perfectly  siin- 

6* 


130  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

pie,  and  all  the  parts  are  strong,  and  well  adapted 
to  stand  the  rough  usage  of  military  service. 


THE  LANCASTER  SYSTEM  OF  RIFLING. 

As  this  is  the  only  gun  manufactured  in  this 
country  on  the  Lancaster  system  of  rifling,  it  may 
be  interesting  to  devote  some  space  to  a  considera- 
tion of  its  merits.  Its  peculiarity  consists  in  the 
fact  that,  instead  of  being  grooved,  the  bore  is  ellip- 
tical in  shape,  and  the  rotary  motion  is  imparted  to 
the  bullet  by  giving  the  longest  diameter  of  the  el- 
lipse a  turn  of  three-fourths  in  the  length  of  the 
barrel.  The  oval  form  is  too  slight  a  variation 
from  a  perfect  cylinder  to  be  perceptible  to  the 
eye,  and  the  appearance  of  the  barrel,  on  looking 
through,  is  precisely  like  that  of  a  smooth-bore 
musket.  But  by  placing  one  of  the  bullets  (which 
are  cast  round,  and  assume  the  elliptical  shape  on 
entering  the  barrel)  into  the  muzzle,  and  looking 
through  from  the  breech,  a  slight  crescent  of  light 
will  be  perceived  on  each  side  of  it. 

During  the  past  year,  an  exceedingly  interesting 
series  of  experiments  have  been  tried  by  a  commit- 
tee of  the  Ordnance  Department  of  Great  Britain 
on  the  merits  of  different  systems  of  rifling  small 
arms,  beginning  with  five  patterns  of  Enfield  rifles, 
constructed  with  different  numbers  and  degrees  of 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  131 

twist,  and  then  selecting  the  best  of  these,  and  com- 
paring with  it  the  Lancaster  and  Whitworth  rifles. 
It  is  worthy  of  note  that  the  Enfield  rifles  with  five 
grooves  were  found  to  be  decidedly  superior  to 
those  which  had  only  three,  and  for  long  ranges,  or 
in  windy  weather,  a  twist  of  one  turn  in  48  inches 
gave  much  better  results  than  one  in  63,  though  it 
was  more  liable  to  foul.  The  following  are  the 
conclusions  arrived  at  in  regard  to  the  Lancaster,  as 
compared  with  the  Enfield  : 

"  As  regards  precision  when  cleaned,  the  Lan- 
caster has  the  advantage. 

"  As  regards  precision  when  foul,  the  Lancaster 
has  a  decided  advantage. 

"  As  regards  non-tendency  to  accumulate  foul- 
ing, the  Lancaster  is  considerably  superior. 

"  As  regards  simplicity  of  management,  the 
Lancaster  has  the  advantage, — a  smooth  barrel  be- 
ing more  easily  cleaned  than  a  grooved  one. 

"  As  regards  penetration,  about  equal. 

"  As  regards  trajectory,  the  Lancaster  has  the 
advantage." 

A  comparison  was  then  made  of  small-bore  Lan- 
caster and  Enfield  rifles,  with  the  Whitworth  and 
Westley  Kichards  breech-loader,  rifled  on  the  Whit- 
worth principle,  and  the  Lancaster  proved  inferior 
to  the  Whitworth  and  Enfield,  and  the  committee 
remark  that — 


132  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

"  A  tendency  to  throw  occasional  wild  shots  was 
observed  in  the  Lancaster  small  bores,  which  was 
not  the  case  with  large  bores  on  the  same  prin- 
ciple." 

This  was  attributed  to  an  incomplete  expansion 
of  the  bullet,  which  in  the  large  bores  is  overcome 
by  the  larger  cavity  at  the  base  of  the  bullet. 

They  finally  placed  the  small  bores  "  with 
grease  lubrication,"  in  the  following  order  of  merit : 

PRECISION  WHEN  CLEAN. 

1.  WMtworth. 

2.  Lancaster  and  Enfield  equal. 

3.  Westley  Richards. 

PRECISION  WHEN  FOUL. 

1.  WMtworth. 

2.  Lancaster. 

3.  Westley  Richards. 

4.  Enfield  (short  barrel). 

NON-TENDENCY  TO  FOUL,  SO  AS  TO  OBSTRUCT  LOADING. 

1.  Westley  Richards. 

2.  Whitworth. 

3.  Lancaster. 

4.  Enfield  (short  barrel). 

Experience  having  proved,  however,  that  the 
"best  lubricant  for  all  climates  and  conditions  is 
pure  bees'  wax,"  they  found,  on  trying  the  same 
arms  with  bullets  thus  lubricated,  that  "  the  shoot- 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  133 

ing  of  the  Whitworth  and  Enfield  arms  deterio- 
rates, while  that  of  the  Lancaster  rifle  improves  to  a 
degree  which  renders  its  precision  equal  to  that  of 
the  Whitworth  and  Enfield,  when  fired  with  grease 
lubricant." 

And  finally,  "  A  strict  and  impartial  comparison 
on  all  points  connected  with  military  efficiency,  es- 
tablishes the  superiority  of  the  Lancaster  rifle,"  and 
"  the  committee  are  of  opinion,  should  it  be  decided 
to  retain  the  present  Enfield  caliber,  that  the  adop- 
tion of  the  Lancaster  system  of  rifling  will  be  at- 
tended with  considerable  advantage  to  the  service." 

The  application  of  the  breech-loading  system  to 
this  principle  of  rifling,  is,  I  believe,  peculiar  to 
Greene's  rifle.  The  arrangement  for  this  purpose 
is  certainly  as  simple  and  effective  as  any  that  I 
have  seen.  1  believe  the  gun  has  thus  far  been 
manufactured  solely  for  military  purposes,  and  I 
perceive,  on  inspection,  but  three  points  which 
would  suggest  to  my  mind  a  question  as  to  its 
adaptation  to  such  use,  which  are,  first,  the  project- 
ing knob  by  which  the  bolt  or  rammer  is  with- 
drawn and  replaced ;  second,  the  position  of  the 
hammer  on  the  under  side  of  the  barrel,  in  front  of 
the  guard ;  and  third,  the  danger  of  the  breech-plug 
and  cylinder  becoming  clogged  with  dust,  so  as  to 
slide  with  difficulty. 

When  in  position  for  firing,  the  knob  projects  at 


134  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

a  right  angle  an  inch  and  a  half  from  the  side  of  the 
breech  of  the  barrel.  For  the  sportsman  this  would 
be  objectionable,  on  account  of  its  liability  to  catch 
in  bushes,  though  no  injurious  consequences  could 
ensue  therefrom ;  but  to  my  taste  a  more  serious 
objection  would  be  its  unsymmetrical  appearance. 
The  position  of  the  hammer  is  not  without  import- 
ant advantages.  It  is  much  less  liable  to  cause  ac- 
cident by  being  caught  upon  anything  in  carrying 
or  struck  by  an  accidental  blow,  than  in  the  usual 
position.  The  nipple  is  better  protected  from  rain, 
and  is  so  placed  as  effectually  to  guard  the  hand 
from  flying  fragments  of  the  cap.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  manipulation  seems  less  convenient  than 
the  common  method,  and  the  gun  must  be  turned 
with  the  guard  upward  to  put  on  the  cap.  The  slot 
on  the  upper  side  of  the  barrel,  being  always  open 
wrhile  the  gun  is  in  use,  I  should  suppose,  would  be 
liable,  at  times,  to  become  clogged  with  dust,  so  as 
to  interfere  with  the  easy  motion  of  the  cylinder. 
Whether  these  objections  are  of  sufficient  import- 
ance to  counterbalance  the  obvious  merits  of  the 
gun,  is  for  military  men  to  decide.  The  fact  that 
the  inventor  is  a  thoroughly  educated  officer  of  the 
regular  army,  proves  that  he,  at  least,  does  not  con- 
sider them  such.  The  accuracy  of  the  one  I  tried 
would  by  no  means  have  satisfied  a  sportsman,  but 
the  gun  is  intended  only  for  military  use,  and  is  suf- 


HINTS   TO  EIFLEMEN.  135 

ficiently  accurate  for  troops  of  the  line.  The  tra- 
jectory is  lower  than  Colt's  or  the  Spencer  rifles. 
The  bullets  invariably  preserved  their  position,  and 
struck  point  first,  and  the  force  was  very  great. 
The  hammer  was  almost  invariably  blown  to  half 
cock  by  the  discharge. 

THE  MAYNARD   RIFLE. 

The  Maynard  rifle,  which  was  first  patented  in 
1851,  and  of  whose  peculiar  construction  a  very 
good  idea  may  be  obtained  from  the  annexed  repre- 
sentations, was  invented  by  Dr.  Edward  Maynard, 
of  Washington,  D.  C.,  and  is  certainly  one  of  the 
most  ingeniously  contrived  instruments  of  the  kind 
which  have  yet  been  produced.  Indeed,  it  combines 
so  many  ingenious  arrangements,  which  together 
result  in  the  production  of  a  weapon  whose  efficien- 
cy and  strength  are  quite  as  remarkable  as  its  per- 
fect simplicity,  that  it  is  only  by  a  careful  examina- 
tion and  study  of  its  various  parts  and  their  work- 
ings, that  one  can  properly  estimate  the  amount  of 
brain-work  involved  in  its  construction.  The  fact 
which  first  presents  itself,  upon  a  cursory  examina- 
tion, is  that  of  its  extremely  compact  form,  in 
which  every  feature  is  reduced  to  the  smallest  pos- 
sible occupation  of  space,  without  giving  the  slight- 
est ground  for  any  apprehension  of  deficiency  in 


136 


HINTS   TO   KIFLEMEN. 


strength.  The  motion  of 
the  guard  by  which  the 
breech  is  raised  for  the  re- 
ception of  the  cartridge,  is 
3  so  easy,  that  the  first  feel- 

|   ing  which  it  excites  is  one 
.^* 

2  of  doubt,  lest  an  accident 

« 

£    should   cause  its  displace- 

3 

'I   ment  at  a  moment   when 

^ 

§    mischievous    consequences 

|  might  ensue.     But  an  ex- 

,J  amination   of   its  working 

|  reveals  the   fact  that  the 

§  mechanical      arrangement 

§»  of  its  joints  is  such  as  to 

\  insure  the  strength  of  a  sol- 

GQ 

rn   id  mags  of  steel,  which  is 

5  not  affected  by  any  strain 

3  to  which  it  can  possibly  be 

6  exposed,  and  that  this  is 

P 

*    attained  without  the  use  of 

x 

a  single  spring,  bolt,  or 
catch,  but  simply  by  the 
movements  of  the  parts, 
which  work  with  mathe- 
matical precision,  and  de- 
rive their  strength  from  their  relative  positions, 


HINTS    TO    RIFLEMEN. 


137 


138  HINTS   TO   KIFLEMEN. 

which  may  be  compared  to  those  of  the  support- 
ing bones  in  the  animal  system. 

A  very  simple  but  very  important  improvement 
has  been  recently  introduced,  by  which  the  empty 
cartridge,  after  being  fired,  is  started  from  its  place 
by  the  act  of  raising  the  breech  for  reloading,  so 
that  it  may  be  easily  withdrawn.  This  is  one  of 
those  apparently  trifling  arrangements,  the  value 
of  which  can  only  be  appreciated  by  one  who  has 
seen  a  deer  bounding  away  from  him,  while  he  was 
fumbling  with  his  finger-nails  to  start  a  cartridge 
which  happened  to  stick,  as  such  things  always 
happen  to  do  at  such  times. 

The  removal  of  a  single  pin  disconnects  the  bar- 
rel from  the  stock,  and  the  whole  gun  may  then  be 
packed  in  a  space  of  twenty  inches  in  length,  by  six 
wide  and  one  inch  deep,  so  that  it  may  be  carried 
in  a  trunk,  or  an  easily  portable  case.  Barrels  of 
different  calibers,  either  for  shot  or  rifled,  may  be 
fitted  to  the  same  stock,  and  changed  in  a  few  sec- 
onds. 

The  ammunition  is  contained  in  a  metallic  car- 
tridge, having  an  aperture  in  the  base  through 
which  the  fire  is  communicated  from  the  cap.  As 
these  cartridges  constitute  a  very  important  feature 
of  Dr.  Maynard's  invention,  they  demand  something 
more  than  a  passing  notice.  Theoretically,  the 
charge  delivered  from  a  metallic  cartridge  should 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  139 

be  more  certainly  accurate  than  that  from  one  of 
paper  or  cloth,  and  especially  in  breech-loading 
guns,  where  the  cartridge  rests  in  a  chamber,  from 
which  the  ball  is  driven  through  the  caliber  which 
is  of  less  diameter.  For,  supposing  the  point  of  the 
ball  to  be  entered  perfectly  true  in  this  caliber,  its 
base,  when  a  paper  cartridge  is  used,  is  unsupport- 
ed at  the  moment  of  explosion,  and  may  be  turned 
to  one  side  or  the  other  by  the  unequal  pressure  ex- 
erted by  the  gas.  With  a  metallic  cartridge,  pro- 
vided the  ball  is  fitted  perfectly  true  in  the  end,  and 
the  cartridge  is  made  to  fill  the  chamber,  the  base 
of  the  ball  is  held  in  its  place  as  firmly  as  the  point 
till  the  whole  has  entered  the  rifled  caliber.  The 
ordinary  self-exploding  metallic  cartridges  are  com- 
pressed about  the  base  of  the  ball  after  its  insertion, 
which  would  seem  to  involve  a  risk  of  untrue  deliv- 
ery, owing  to  unequal  friction  upon  the  base  while 
forcing  itself  loose.  In  practice,  however,  I  have 
certainly  found  no  cause  of  complaint  on  this 
score.  Dr.  Maynard's  cartridges  are  constructed  in 
such  a  manner  that  when  charged,  by  means  of  a 
very  simple  implement  which  accompanies  every 
gun,  the  ball  is  not  only,  of  necessity,  mathematical- 
ly exact  in  its  position,  but  is  held,  without  com- 
pressing the  cartridge,  but  simply  by  being  exactly 
fitted  to  it,  so  firmly,  that  it  cannot  be  moved  after 
.»eing  placed  in  the  chamber,  in  any  direction  ex- 


140  HINTS    TO   RIFLEMEN. 

cept  with  a  perfectly  true  delivery  through  the  cali- 
ber. The  cartridges  may  be  used  over  and  over 
again  for  an  indefinite  period,  and  being  loaded  by 
the  gunner  himself,  he  is  relieved  from  the  appre- 
hension of  being  unable  to  provide  himself  with 
ammunition,  as  well  as  from  the  fear  of  accidental 
explosion,  which  must  always  exist  with  the  car- 
tridges having  the  fulminating  composition  in  con- 
tact with  the  powder.  There  is,  also,  a  very  simple 
arrangement  for  using  loose  ammunition,  the  ball 
being  first  inserted  at  the  breech,  and  followed  by  a 
cartridge  or  charger,  which  is  simply  filled  from  the 
flask  for  each  shot.  I  have  been  thus  particular  in 
describing  the  Maynard  cartridge,  because  its  mer- 
its, which  are  really  very  important,  are  liable  to  be 
overlooked  by  a  casual  observer,  and  because  Dr. 
Maynard  is  entitled  to  the  full  credit  of  its  inven- 
tion, having  obtained  a  patent  for  his  mode  of  man- 
ufacturing them,  and  securing  the  bullet  with  a  flat 
base,  in  a  perfectly  true  position  in  the  cartridge, 
and  holding  it  there  without  compressing  the  car- 
tridge about  its  base,  as  long  ago  as  1856. 

The  barrels  are  of  two  sizes,  one  being  of  half 
an  inch  caliber,  carrying  20  elongated  or  35  round 
bullets  to  the  pound ;  the  other,  of  T3/^  inch  caliber, 
carrying  46  elongated  or  90  round  bullets  to  the 
pound.  To  the  latter  I  am  ready  to  accord  the  full- 
est praise.  I  know  of  no  breech-loader  which  I 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  141 

consider  its  superior  ;  and,  indeed,  in  accuracy  and 
force,  I  have  never  seen  it  surpassed  by  any  gun  fit 
for  field  service. 

Of  the  large  barrel,  I  cannot  speak  in  the  same 
terms.  It  is  too  light  for  the  charge  it  has  to  carry, 
and  the  recoil  is  so  severe  as  to  neutralize  the  effect 
of  the  increased  charge,  so  that  its  penetration  at  40 
yards  is  little,  if  any,  more  than  that  of  the  small 
barrel  whose  charge  is  one-fourtli  less. 

In  the  shaping  of  the  stock,  the  object  of  reduc- 
ing the  whole  to  the  most  compact  form  possible, 
has  led  to  a  sacrifice  of  fulness,  which  gives  it  a 
lank  appearance,  as  if  sawed  from  a  board,  which,  I 
think  most  men  will  agree  with  me,  is  by  no  means 
atoned  for,  by  the  capacity  it  gives  of  being  stowed 
in  half  an  inch  less  depth  of  case.  A  new  model, 
however,  has  recently  been  prepared,  in  which  this 
objectionable  feature  has  been  removed,  and  it  is  to 
be  hoped  that  in  future  its  beauty  of  form  will  be  in 
keeping  with  its  intrinsic  excellence. 

In  connection  with  this  gun,  I  ought  not  to  omit 
to  mention  the  Maynard  primer,  which  is  another 
invention  of  Dr.  Maynard's.  It  consists  of  a  narrow 
strip  of  varnished  paper  of  double  thickness,  having 
deposits  of  fulminating  powder  in  cells  between  the 
two,  at  equal  distances  apart.  Each  strip  contains 
three  dozen  of  these  cells,  equivalent  to  the  same 
number  of  caps.  The  strip  is  coiled  in  a  magazine 


14:2  HINTS   TO   KIFLEMKN. 

concealed  beneath  the  lock-plate,  and  brought  up 
by  the  motion  of  a  wheel  in  the  act  of  cocking,  so 
as  to  bring  a  cell  directly  upon  the  top  of  the  nip- 
ple. The  fall  of  the  hammer  explodes  it,  and  at 
the  same  time  cuts  off  the  paper  behind,  so  that  it 
is  not  seen  again  till  the  gun  is  again  cocked. 

My  own  experience  in  its  use  has  been  but 
small,  but,  so  far  as  it  has  gone,  it  has  been  entirely 
satisfactory.  It  secures  the  same  advantages  which 
are  possessed  by  the  metallic  cartridges  which  have 
the  fulminating  composition  in  their  base,  without 
being  liable  to  the  danger  of  explosion  from  an  ac- 
cidental blow.  The  rapidity  with  which  the  gun 
may  be  used  with  its  aid,  is  proved  by  the  anecdote 
I  have  elsewhere  related  of  a  fishhawk  having  been 
killed  on  the  wing  after  being  frightened  from  his 
perch  by  a  shot  which  missed  him,  the  gun  having 
been  reloaded  meanwhile.  This  feat  was  performed 
by  Mr.  Wm.  P.  McFarland,  of  Chicopee  Falls. 

I  am  quite  confident  that  no  gun  has  done  so 
much  as  the  Maynard  to  remove  the  prejudice  en- 
tertained against  breech-loaders  by  many  old  rifle- 
men ;  and  indeed  no  sportsman,  after  convincing 
himself,  as  he  may  very  readily  do,  of  its  accuracy 
and  force,  can  fail  to  perceive  the  very  great  advan- 
tages it  possesses  over  any  muzzle-loading  rifle. 

The  target,  of  which  the  annexed  is  a  representa- 
tion, was  shot  by  Mr.  Wm.  P.  McFarland  at  500 


HINTS    TO   RIFLEMEN. 


143 


•v?cV;  o 

.    \<y  ;     >r 


8 

I 


—       r- 

11 


yards,  and  a  very  important  proof  afforded  by  it  of 
the  accuracy  of  the  gun,  lies  in  the  fact  that  the 


14:4: 


HESTTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 


whole  number  of  shots  was  fired  without  his  know- 
ing, till  he  had  finished,  where  any  of  them  had 
struck,  *feo  that  no  allowance  was  made  in  any  case 
for  previous  variations. 

I  give  also  representations  of  three  other  targets, 
shot  with  the  Maynard  rifle :  one  of  sixty  successive 


Sixty  successive  shots  at  100  yards,  with  Maynard  rifle,  fired  without  being 

cleaned,  by  Mr.  WM.  P.  MCFARLAND. 
Diameter  of  outer  circle,  12  inches  ;  inner,  3  inches. 

shots  by  Mr.  McFarland ;  and  two,  of  ten  shots 
each,  at  fifty  yards,  by  Mr.  Cyrus  Bradley,  of  Coo- 
perstown,  N.  Y. 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 


Ten  successive  shots  at  50  yards,  \vith  Maynard  rifle,  .35  caliber,  by 
Mr.  CYRUS  BRADLEY. 


Ten  successive  shots  at  50  yards,  with  Maynard  rifle,  .35  caliber,  by 

Mr.  CYRUS  BRADLEY. 
7 


146  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

Since  writing  the  preceding,  I  have  received  a 
letter  from  Mr.  Stabler  (to  whom  I  am  indebted  for 
the  interesting  essay  on  the  rifle  which  is  published 
in  this  volume),  from  which  I  make  the  following 
extract : 

"  I  took  my  rifle  with  me  on  my  recent  trip  (to 
the  Alleghany  mountains),  and  having  pretty  much 
got  through  my  business,  I  took  an  afternoon  hunt. 
A  light  snow  had  recently  fallen,  and  I  soon  came 
upon  the  tracks  of  a  couple  of  deer,  which  I  follow- 
ed for  a  mile  or  two,  coming  on  them  within  50  or 
60  yards,  they  standing  within  3  or  4  feet  of  each 
other.  I  dropped  the  first  in  his  tracks,  and  before 
the  second  had  moved  25  yards,  I  had  reloaded 
,  and  knocked  him  down  also.  So  much  for  the 
Maynard  rifle." 

RIFLES  USING  THE  SELF-EXPLODING  METALLIC 
CARTRIDGES. 

I  have  discussed  the  merits  of  this  form  of  am- 
munition in  a  previous  chapter,  and  propose  now  to 
give  such  a  description  of  the  best  rifles  adapted  to 
its  use,  as  may  aid  the  purchaser  in  making  a  se- 
lection. 

The  demand  for  guns  of  this  kind  is  rapidly  in- 
creasing, and  the  obvious  advantages  they  possess, 
will  always  be  more  than  enough,  in  the  eyes  of  a 
large  class,  to  counterbalance  any  objections  which 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  147 

may  be  urged  against  them.  Their  relative  merits 
depend  first  upon  their  comparative  accuracy  and 
force ;  and,  secondly,  upon  the  construction  of  the 
movable  breech-piece,  by  which  the  barrel  is  opened 
for  the  admission  of  the  cartridge.  As  the  efficien- 
cy of  the  weapon  is  greatly  dependent  upon  the  fa- 
cility with  which  the  operation  of  withdrawing  the 
empty  cartridge  and  inserting  the  new  one  may  be 
performed,  it  is  obvious  that  the  arrangement  of  the 
parts  therewith  connected  is  a  matter  of  vital  im- 
portance. 

I  proceed  first  to  describe  the  guns  which  are 
loaded  with  a  single  cartridge,  and  must  be  re- 
charged for  every  shot. 


F.  WESSON'S  BREECH-LOADING  RIFLE. 

The  advertisement  at  the  end  of  this  volume 
sets  forth  the  merits  of  this  gun  in  terms  which  my 
own  experience  in  its  use,  and  the  opinions  I  have 
heard  in  regard  to  its  merits  from  competent  judges, 
lead  me  to  believe,  are  not  exaggerated.  For  ac- 
curacy and  power  I  have  found  it  superior  to  any 
gun  of  its  size  using  the  self-exploding  cartridge. 
The  name  of  the  maker,  who  was  formerly  asso- 
ciated with  his  brother,  the  late  Edwin  Wesson,  of 
Northboro',  is  so  well  known  in  connection  with 


148 


HINTS    TO    RIFLEMEN. 


the  best  of  work  in  the  manufacture  of  target  rifles, 
that  it  is  in  itself  a  sufficient  guarantee  for  the  ma- 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 


149 


terial  and  finish  of  whatever  comes  from  his  shop, 
and  the  compact  and  graceful  form,  and  beautiful 
finish,  and  general  attractive  appearance  of  this 
gun,  fully  sustain  the  reputation  he  has  acquired. 

The  following  account  of  experiments  with  the 
Wesson  rifle,  and  a  comparison  of  its  penetration 
with  the  Ballard,  was  furnished  me  by  Dr.  I.  J. 


Twelve  successive  shots.     Weapon,  Wesson's  breech-loading  rifle,  28-inch 
barrel.    Distance,  115  yards.    Open  sights.    Shot  by  Dr.  L  J.  WETHERBEB. 


150  HINTS   TO   BIFLEMEST. 


Twelve  successive  shots.  Weapon,  Wesson's  breech-loading  rifle,  34-inch 
barrel.  Distance,  20  rods  =  110  yards.  Telescope  sights.  Shot  by  Dr. 
I.  J.  WETHEEBEE. 

Wetherbee,  of  Boston,  who  has  tried  it  thoroughly, 
and  in  whose  opinion  I  have  entire  confidence.  I 
give  also  two  targets  shot  by  him  with  the  Wesson 
rifle,  which  afford  sufficient  proof  of  its  accuracy  for 
sporting  purposes. 

"  The  weight  of  the  Wesson  rifle  was  six  pounds. 
Length  of  barrel,  24  inches  ;  size  of  bore,  TW  ;  car- 
rying 90  round  balls  or  64  slugs  to  the  pound. 

"  The  weight  of  the  Ballard  rifle  was  6  J  pounds. 
Bore  the  same  as  Wesson's. 

"  The  above  is  the  weight  of  barrels  and  stocks. 
I  should  judge  the  weight  of  the  Wesson  barrel  to 
be  3f  Ibs.,  and  the  Ballard  barrel  4f  Ibs. 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  151 

"  The  penetration  of  the  Wesson  at  a  distance 
of  32  feet  was  8J  inches,  in  pine  wood. 

"The  penetration  of  the  Ballard  in  the  same 
wood  was  7i  inches.  The  same  cartridges  were 
used  in  both  rifles. 

"  Five  shots  were  made  with  each  rifle.  One 
of  the  Ballard  shots  penetrated  half  an  inch  deeper 
than  the  other  four  by  the  same  gun.  The  Wesson 
rifle  made  the  sharpest  report ;  so  decided  by  two 
witnesses  present. 

"  At  a  subsequent  trial  of  three  barrels  made  by 
Wesson,  the  following  results  were  obtained,  viz. : 

"  The  24-inch  barrel  which  I  have  mentioned 
above,  penetrated  8f  inches  in  pine,  the  boards 
being  placed  together  compactly. 

"  The  28-inch  barrel  penetrated  10J  inches. 

"  The  34-inch  barrel  penetrated  12  inches  and  a 
fraction.  The  same  cartridges  were  used  in  the 
above  three  cases. 

"  The  only  explanation  I  can  give  of  the  greater 
penetration  of  the  24-inch  barrel  of  Wesson's  over 
Ballard's  is  that  the  Wesson  rifle  slugs  the  ball 
more,  thereby  expending  more  of  the  strength  of 
the  powder. 

"  You  will  see  also  that  the  28  and  34-inch  bar- 
rels have  a  decided  superiority  over  the  24-inch 
barrel." 

At  the  Missouri  State  fair  on  the  7th  October, 


152  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

3  the  Wesson  rifle  won  the  prize  (a  stand  of 
colors)  in  a  contest  with  three  infantry  companies. 
The  target  was  the  size  of  a  man,  distance  300 
yards.  The  Wesson  rifle  hit  the  target  forty-five 
times  out  of  100  shots,  the  greatest  number  by  any 
other  gun  being  thirteen  hits.  At  the  Massachu- 
setts State  trial  of  breech-loading  arms  at  Keadville, 
the  Wesson  rifle  placed  20  successive  shots  in  the 
target  at  200  yards,  and  in  testing  its  powers  of 
rapid  firing,  50  shots  were  fired  in  less  than  four 
minutes. 

In  loading  the  Wesson  rifle,  as  may  be  seen  in 
the  illustration,  the  breech  is  elevated  by  a  move- 
ment somewhat  like  that  of  the  Maynard.  The 
empty  cartridge  is  then  withdrawn  by  hand,  a  new 
one  inserted,  and  the  barrel  restored  to  its  place, 
in  which  it  is  held  by  a  catch,  which  is  loosened 
by  a  trigger  in  front  of  the  one  by  which  the  piece 
is  discharged.  The  hammer  cannot  be  drawn  back 
beyond  half  cock  till  this  catch  has  secured  the  bar- 
rel in  its  place. 

THE  BALLARD   RIFLE. 

This  rifle  is  manufactured  of  different  sizes,  for 
military  and  sporting  purposes.  The  former  is  so 
arranged  that  it  may  be  used  with  the  metallic  car- 
tridge or  with  the  ordinary  soldier's  cartridge,  to  be 
fired  with  a  cap.  The  sporting  rifle  is  of  TW  cali- 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMAN.  153 

ber.  I  have  tried  the  latter,  and  was  satisfied  with 
the  accuracy  of  its  shooting,  though  the  sights  had 
not  been  arranged,  and  I  had  not  time  to  adjust 
them  for  different  ranges.  I  think  it  would  shoot 
every  shot  into  a  six-inch  ring  at  100  yards,  and 
probably  maintain  the  same  degree  of  accuracy  in 
calm  weather  up  to  four  or  five  hundred.  The  ex- 
periments of  Dr.  Wetherbee  with  the  Wesson  gun 
in  comparison  with  tnis,  prove  the  superior  force  of 
shooting  of  the  former,  and  I  have  myself  made  the 
same  proof, — having  procured  a  box  of  cartridges 
made  for  the  Ballard  rifle,  and  using  them  indis- 
criminately in  that  gun  and  the  Wesson,  have 
found  the  average  penetration  of  the  latter  to  be 
about  an  inch  more  than  the  former.  The  differ- 
ence in  the  velocity  of  the  shot  from  the  Ballard 
rifle,  as  compared  with  others,  is  plainly  percep- 
tible, when  standing  by  the  target, — a  mode  of  judg- 
ing the  capacity  of  a  gun,  which  should  never  be 
omitted  in  a  comparative  trial.  Standing  within 
twenty  feet  of  the  target,  when  the  shooter  is  100 
yards  distant,  the  whistle  of  the  bullet  from  the 
Ballard  rifle  is  distinctly  heard,  and  the  time  is  ap- 
preciable between  the  report  of  the  gun  and  the 
striking  of  the  bullet.  Such  is  not  the  case  at  that 
distance  with  the  Colt,  Maynard,  or  Wesson  rifles. 
No  whistling  can  be  detected,  and  the  stroke  of  the 
bullet  upon  the  target  is  simultaneous  with  the  re- 
7* 


154  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

port.  With  the  Majnard  the  same  is  the  case  at 
200  yards,  but  the  Colt  has  by  that  time  lost  a  por- 
tion of  its  velocity,  and  the  report  is  heard  before 
the  bullet  strikes,  though  the  interval  is  so  slight 
that  it  is  scarcely  appreciable.  I  am  not  prepared 
to  say  how  far  the  accuracy  is  dependent  upon  the 
velocity.  I  have  never  been  able  to  do  as  good 
continuous  shooting  at  200  yards  with  the  Maynard 
as  the  Colt,  but  others  in  whom  I  have  confidence 
have  reported  differently.  One  of  the  best  riflemen 
I  have  ever  known  has  assured  me  of  his  firm  con- 
viction, that  a  bullet  moving  with  only  moderate 
velocity  is  less  affected  by  wind  than  one  which 
was  driven  with  very  great  speed. 

The  breech  of  the  Ballard  rifle  is  opened  for  the 
insertion  of  the  cartridge,  by  drawing  down  the 
guard,  when  the  breech-block  sinks  perpendicular- 
ly, carrying  the  hammer  with  it,  and  throwing  it 
back  to  half  cock.  The  empty  cartridge  is  then  re- 
moved by  means  of  a  finger- piece  under  the  barrel, 
attached  to  a  slide,  which  pushes  out  the  cartridge 
by  pressing  against  its  flange,  and  is  then  restored 
to  its  place  by  a  spring.  This  is  a  better  arrange- 
ment than  the  Wesson,  from  which  the  cartridge 
must  be  withdrawn  by  the  fingers,  which  is  some- 
times difficult,  and  causes  delay. 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  155 

REPEATING  RIFLES. 

I  have  elsewhere  given  my  opinion  of  the  gen- 
eral merits  of  rifles  of  this  description,  and  it  only 
remains  to  speak  of  the  relative  value  of  the  differ- 
ent models,  of  which  I  know  of  only  three,  viz. : 
Colt's  revolving  rifles,  the  Henry,  and  the  Spencer 
repeating  rifles. 

tJOLT'S  RIFLE 

is  constructed  on  the  same  general  principle  as  his 
pistols.  A  revolving  chamber  receives  the  charges, 
which  may  be  either  loose  powder  and  ball,  or 
cartridges ;  a  rammer  which  is  moved  by  a  lever, 
insures  their  being  sent  home  perfectly  true,  and 
the  balls  fit  so  exactly  to  the  bore  of  the  chambers 
as  to  close  them  hermetically.  The  caliber  of  the 
barrel  being  *02  of  an  inch  less  than  that  of  the 
chambers,  the  ball  is  necessarily  forced  to  fit  itself 
exactly  to  the  grooves,  which  are  seven  in  number, 
and  cut  with  a  gain  twist.  The  charge  is  fired  with 
a  cap,  and  the  working  of  all  the  parts  is  beautifully 
simple  and  exact.  The  excellence  of  the  material 
and  workmanship  of  these  guns  require  no  setting 
forth  at  my  hands,  as  the  reputation  of  Colt's  arms 
is  established  in  all  four  quarters  of  the  globe ;  but 
it  may  not  be  amiss  to  state  the  fact  that  I  have  in 
my  possession  one  of  his  rifles  which  I  have  had  in 
frequent  use  for  more  than  two  years,  and  from 


156 


HINTS   TO    RIFLEMEN. 


•8  5,0 

O  DO 


COLICS  KIFLE. 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  157 

which  I  have  fired  over  three  thousand  shots,  and 
it  has  never  been  in  the  least  degree  out  of  order, 
has  never  been  in  the  hands  of  the  gunsmith,  and 
as  evidence  that  it  maintains  its  precision  unim- 
paired, I  may  mention  the  fact  that  I  have  recently, 
with  open  sights,  placed  ten  successive  shots  in  a 
nine-inch  ring,  at  200  yards. 

I  find  the  apprehension  to  be  very  generally 
prevalent  that  these  guns  are  unsafe,  from  the  lia- 
bility to  accidental  discharge  of  other  chambers 
than  the  one  which  is  in  line  with  the  barrel.  This 
prejudice  has  arisen  from  the  fact  that  such  danger 
did  exist  with  the  first  pattern  of  gun,  but,  as  now 
constructed,  such  an  accident  may  be  said  to  be  an 
impossibility.  In  all  my  experience  I  have  never 
known  an  instance  of  its  occurrence,  nor  do  I 
believe  it  could  be  made  to  occur  ;  and  I  know  of 
no  gun  which  is  so  safe  when  carrying,  for  if  the 
hammer  is  let  down  (as  it  ought  to  be)  upon  the 
bridge  between  the  nipples,  there  is  no  possibility 
of  an  accidental  discharge. 

Another  objection  which  is  brought  against 
Colt's  rifle,  is  the  theoretical  one  that  much  of  its 
force  must  be  lost  by-the  escape  of  gas  between  the 
chambers  and  barrel,  to  which  it  is  a  sufficient 
reply  to  state  the  fact  that  its  penetration  is  supe- 
rior to  that  of  any  gun  using  the  same  weight  of 
powder  and  lead. 


158  HINTS   TO   EIFLEMEN. 

Frank  Forester's  criticisms  on  Colt's  rifles  were 
directed  at  the  first  model,  and  Lave  no  application 
to  the  improved  weapon.  He  asserts,  however, 
that  any  gun  which  admits  the  slightest  escape  of 
the  "  gaseous  ignited  fluid,  at  the  moment  of  dis- 
charge, must  speedily  suffer  from  the  wearing 
away  of  the  metallic  faces  at  the  point  of  junction ; " 
and  speaking  of  Sharps'  rifle,  he  says  :  "  I  cannot 
doubt  that,  after  a  few  hundred  shots,  the  efficiency 
of  the  weapon  would  be  seriously  affected  by  the 
burning  away  or  melting  of  the  metal."  This  is  a 
very  plausible  theory,  but  it  does  not  stand  the  test 
of  practice,  at  least  with  Colt's  gun,  for  after  firing, 
as  I  have  stated,  over  three  thousand  rounds  from 
the  one  in  my  possession,  an  examination  with  a 
powerful  magnifying  glass  fails  to  reveal  the  slight- 
est evidence  of  abrasion,  either  of  the  barrel  or  the 
chambers. 

The  annexed  representation  of  a  target  shot  by 
Lieut.  Hans  Busk,  of  the  Victoria  Rifles,  at  400 
yards,  with  Colt's  rifle,  affords  such  convincing 
evidence  of  its  accuracy,  that  further  testimony 
would  be  superfluous,  and  I  need  only  add  that  my 
own  experience  fully  corroborates  his  unqualified 
expression,  that  "  for  efficiency  and  strength  of 
shooting,  nothing  can  beat  it." 

Capt.  R.  B.  Marcy,  of  the  U.  S.  Army,  in  his 
"  Hand-Book  for  Overland  Expeditions,"  when 


HINTS   TO  RIFLEMEN. 


159 


giving  advice  to  prairie 
travellers  on  the  subject 
of  arms,  speaks  thus  of 
these  guns : 

"  For  my  own  part 
I  look  upon  Colt's  rifle 
as  a  most  excellent  arm 
for  border  service.  It 
is  the  most  reliable  and 
certain  weapon  to  fire 
that  I  have  ever  used, 
and  I  cannot  resist  the 
force  of  my  conviction 
that  if  I  were  alone 
upon  the  prairies,  and 
expected  an  attack  from 
a  body m  of  Indians,  I  am 
not  acquainted  with  any 
arm  I  would  as  soon  have 
in  my  hands  as  this." 

To  this  I  will  add 
that  I  have  never  used 
any  gun  whose  perform- 
ance has  proved  so  inva- 
riably satisfactory  in  all  48ehot8  A]lhit  Target6feetby2. 
respects  as  Colt's  rifle. 

Yet  it  is  liable  to  some  objections  which  are 


160  HINTS   TO   KIFLEMEN. 

peculiar  to  itself,  and  the  importance  of  which  in 
deciding  the  question  of  selection  must  be  weighed 
for  himself  by  each  individual.  It  requires  more 
time  for  loading  than  any  of  the  breech-loaders.  In 
fact,  any  of  the  single-shooting  metallic  cartridge 
rifles  might  be  loaded  and  fired  a  dozen  times  while 
loading  the  six  chambers  of  Colt's  rifle.  On  the 
other  hand,  when  they  are  loaded,  the  six  shots  may 
be  delivered  with  greater  rapidity  than  from  any 
other  gun  except  Henry's  rifle,  and  for  the  sports- 
man's use  the  occasion  would  probably  never  offer 
(unless  it  were  in  chasing  buffaloes),  requiring  the 
discharge  of  all  the  chambers  without  time  to  re- 
load, and,  as  three  charges  may  easily  be  inserted 
in  the  time  required  for  once  loading  a  muzzle- 
Ioader3  it  is  obviously  sufficient  for  his  wants.  The 
operation  of  loading  can  be  greatly  facilitated  by 
using  the  cartridges,  which  are  furnished  by  the 
manufacturers  ;  but  I  find  loose  powder  and  ball  to 
insure  greater  accuracy  with  ANY  gun  than  can  be 
attained  with  a  paper  or  cloth  cartridge.  My  own 
custom  when  using  the  gun  is  to  reload  after  every 
two  shots,  and  I  adhere  to  it  because  I  like  to 
habituate  myself  to  such  a  detail  of  manipulation  as 
I  conceive  to  be  most  efficient  in  continuous  use. 
An  emergency  might  of  course  occur,  requiring  the 
discharge  of  all  the  chambers  without  stopping  to 
reload,  but  such  emergencies  are  rare,  and  in  con- 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  161 

tinuous  firing  it  is  easier  to  load  two  chambers  at  a 
time,  than  to  wait  till  the  six  are  empty  and  then 
load  them  all ;  besides  which,  by  thus  breaking 
joints,  the  gun  will  not  become  heated  so  quickly, 
as  if  the  chambers  were  fired  in  regular  succession, 
and  four  charges  will  always  be  held  in  reserve,  to 
be  used  only  in  case  of  emergency. 

It  is  not  so  easy  to  clean  as  the  metallic  car- 
tridge rifles,  and  is  -liable  to  be  affected  by  rust  and 
dirt  in  its  working  parts  in  a  manner  which  would 
be  objectionable  to  its  military  use.  Except  for 
cavalry,  however,  I  do  not  believe  that  cmy  re- 
peater will  ever  be  extensively  adopted  for  mili- 
tary use  ;  and  the  superiority  for  cavalry  of  the  me- 
tallic cartridge  guns,  is  too  obvious  and  important 
to  admit  of  rivalry. 

I  annex  the  following  interesting  extract  from  a 
letter  to  Col.  Colt,  from  a  correspondent  at  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope : 

"As  much  discussion  and  writing  is  now  going  on  in 
England,  respecting  the  use  and  introduction  of  the  numer- 
ous fire-arms,  I  have  thought  you  would  like  to  know  what 
is  going  on  here,  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  where  we  have 
recently  had  a  trial  of  Colt's  and  other  arms,  by  putting 
them  to  a  practical,  useful  test. 

"  On  my  recommendation,  Mr.  Chapman,  one  of  our  Cen- 
tral African  travellers,  whose  name,  coupled  with  his  bro- 
ther's, is.  well  known  in  the  geographical  world,  took  with 
him,  on  his  last  expedition  to  the  interior,  one  of  your  car- 
bines (56-100ths  caliber),  which  I  selected  from  Rawbone's 


162  HINTS    TO   RIFLEMEN. 

Shop.     I  tried  it  here  first,  and  found  it  carried  admirably,* 
both  in  accuracy  and  distance ;  I  could  reach  1000  yards 
easy. 

"  His  brother,  lately  returned  from  the  interior,  tells  me 
he  heard  of  the  wonders  performed  with  the  gun  every- 
where (he  himself  is  still  absent,  when  he  returns  we  shall 
hear  something  more).  He  began  to  practise  with  it  on 
board  ship,  going  up  to  Walwich  Bay,  and  used  to  pick  off 
the  sea-fowl  as  they  flew  past  the  vessel,  with  as  much  ease 
as  he  would  have  with  a  shot  gun.  At  Walwich  Bay,  and 
among  the  hunters  up  there,  he  ~beat  every  rifle  brought  against 
him;  and  one  shot,  fairly  calculated  and  deliberated,  killed 
a  pelican  at  680  yards. 

"  One  of  your  8-inch  pistols,  stocked,  was  also  in  his 
hands,  and  afforded  great  fun  to  the  hunters  up  there.  They 
used  to  practise  it  at  bottles  at  150  yards,  breaking  four  out 
of  six,  and  never  missing  the  candle-box  placed  behind  them 
if  they  missed  the  bottles. 

"  The  consequence  of  this  is,  that  Mr.  F.  Green,  the  best 
elephant  hunter  we  have,  has  just  started  to  the  interior, 
taking  one  of  the  rifles  (a  longer  one)  with  him.  D.  Holden, 
who  has  just  started,  has  had  one  of  your  large  pistols  stock- 
ed, and  says  he  does  not  require  any  other  weapon  for  game 
purposes.  He  tried  it  unstocked  on  his  last  trip,  and  says  it 
even  then  answered  to  perfection,  and  declares  he  shall  never 
stir  without  it. 

"  The  other  Chapman,  who  will  also  start  soon  again,  will, 
I  believe,  take  a  rifle,  and  when  we  hear  from  these  well 
known  men  the  reports  which,  from  my  confidence  in  your 
weapons,  I  Jcnow  they  must  bring  back,  I  fancy  we  shall  never 
hear  of  hunters  starting  for  the  interior  without  one." 


THE  SPENCER  REPEATING  RIFLE,  CARBINES,  AND 
SPORTING  RIFLE. 

The  Spencer  Repeating  Rifle  is  a  new  arm  patented  in 
the  United  States  on  the  6th  of  March,  1860,  and  in  the 


HINTS   TO   EIFLEMEN.  163 

principal  kingdoms  of  Europe  at  subsequent  dates  during 
the  same  year. 

The  rifle  is  a  breech-loader  and  a  repeater  also.  Seven 
cartridges  are  securely  deposited  in  a  magazine  located  in 
the  butt  of  the  gun.  These  cartridges  are  thrown  forward 
to  the  chamber,  as  needed,  with  the  most  unerring  precision, 
and  with  a  rapidity  for  successive  firing,  which  leaves  noth- 
ing on  that  score  to  be  desired.  An  ordinarily  skilled 
marksman  can  discharge  the  seven  loads  in  twelve  seconds, 
and  whole  platoons  of  soldiers,  waiting  for  the  word  of  com- 
mand, can  fire  with  good  aim  at  the  rate  of  once  every  three 
seconds.  When  the  seven  charges  are  fired,  seven  more  can 
be  inserted  in  less  than  one-half  the  time  required  to  ram 
and  cap  the  single  cartridge  of  a  muzzle-loading  musket. 
More  rapid  firing  than  this,  even  if  attainable,  would  be 
wholly  undesirable. 

The  great  desideratum  in  a  repeating  rifle  has  been  to 
locate  the  magazine  so  that  the  reserve  cartridges  should  be 
absolutely  protected  against  all  danger  of  explosion.  This 
end  has  been  accomplished  in  the  Spencer  Rifle  in  the  most 
complete  manner,  as  even  a  superficial  inspection  of  the  arm 
will  demonstrate.  The  magazine  has  a  double  sheathing  of 
metal,  strongly  incased  in  wood,  and  thus  presents  as  formi- 
dable an  obstacle  against  external  force  as  does  the  barrel 
itself.  Indeed,  it  is  averred,  without  fear  of  disproof,  that 
the  cartridges  in  the  magazine  of  the  Spencer  Rifle,  are,  if 
possible,  less  liable  to  premature  explosion  from  any  conceiv- 
able cause  than  is  the  single  cartridge  of  the  ordinary  kind 
in  the  chamber  of  a  muzzle-loading  gun. 

One  objection  often  and  very  justly  urged  against  many 
breech-loaders,  is  the  liability  to  an  explosion  before  the 
breech  is  completely  closed,  in  which  event  there  is  great 
danger  of  injury  to  the  person  handling  the  gun.  By  an  in- 
genious, and  yet  very  simple  arrangement,  such  an  accident  is 
rendered  literally  impossible  in  the  Spencer  Rifle — for  the 
plain  reason  that  the  hammer  cannot  be  made  to  strike  on 
the  fulminate,  nor  on  anything  impinging  thereon,  until  the 
parts  are  completely  locked. 


164:  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

In  range  and  force  the  Spencer  Rifle  is  second  to  no  other 
arm.  It  will  throw  a  ball  two  thousand  yards,  and  may  be 
relied  upon  for  general  accuracy  at  a  greater  distance  than 
any  other  arm  yet  invented.  In  the  hands  of  scouts  or  sharp- 
shooters, or  regular  troops, — taking  into  consideration  all  the 
elements  of  range,  rapidity  of  firing,  and  facility  of  re-loading, 
the  Spencer  Rifle  is  so  effective  as  to  render  one  man  with 
it  fully  equal  to  half  a  dozen  men  armed  with  single-loading 
muskets.  In  force  it  is  quite  as  remarkable  as  in  range.  At 
the  distance  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  it  will  propel  a  ball 
through  thirteen  inches  of  timber,  and  this  force  is  not  pal- 
pably diminished  in  intensity  until  the  range  is  very  consid- 
erably prolonged.  The  range  and  force  herein  described, 
are  attained  with  a  charge  of  powder  but  little  more  than 
one-half  the  quantity  used  in  the  regulation  cartridge  of  the 
United  States  service,  to  propel  a  ball  of  the  same  size.  This 
great  gain  results  from  the  perfection  of  mechanism,  which 
prevents  the  slightest  escape  of  gas,  and  thus  concentrates 
and  economizes  the  entire  force  of  the  powder.  So  com- 
pletely is  the  escape  of  gas  checked,  that  a  white  handker- 
chief placed  round  the  joint,  when  firing  any  number  of 
times,  is  found  not  to  be  discolored,  and  not  even  to  have  the 
odor  of  powder. 

The  rifle  has  been  submitted  to  the  judgment  of  some  of 
the  most  eminent  Ordnance  officers  of  the  Army  and  Navy  of 
the  United  States,  and  has  uniformly  elicited  the  warmest 
encomiums. 

Capt.  J.  A.  Dahlgren,  of  the  United  States  Navy,  the  in- 
ventor of  the  famous  cannon  which  bears  his  name,  had  the 
arm  very  thoroughly  tested  at  the  Washington  Navy  Yard, 
in  June,  1861,  and  as  the  result  of  his  experiments  and  his 
report  thereon,  the  Department  ordered  a  considerable  num- 
ber of  the  rifles  for  the  Naval  Service.  In  Capt.  Dahlgren 's 
minute  account  of  his  experiments  with  the  rifle,  he  says : 

"  The  mechanism  is  compact  and  strong.  The  piece  was 
fired  five  hundred  times  in  succession — partly  divided  be- 
tween two  mornings.  There  was  but  one  failure  to  fire, — 


HINTS   TO   BIFLEMEN.  165 

supposed  to  be  due  to  the  absence  of  fulminate.  In  every 
other  instance  the  operation  was  complete.  The  mechanism  was 
not  cleaned,  and  yet  worked  throughout  as  at  first.  Not  the 
least  foulness  on  the  outside,  and  very  little  within.  The  least 
time  of  firing  seven  rounds  was  ten  seconds." 

Captain  Alexander  B.  Dyer,  of  the  United  States  Ordnance 
Corps,  and  at  present  Superintendent  of  the  Government 
Armory  at  Springfield,  made  a  thorough  examination  of  the 
rifle  at  Fortress  Monroe,  in  August,  1861.  In  his  report  of 
his  trial,  he  says  : 

"  I  fired  the  Spencer  Repeating  Rifle  some  eighty  times. 
The  loaded  piece  was  then  laid  upon  the  ground  and  covered 
with  sand,  to  see  what  would  be  the  effect  of  getting  sand 
into  the  joints.  No  clogging  or  other  injurious  effect  ap- 
peared to  have  been  produced.  The  lock  and  lower  parts 
of  the  barrel  were  then  covered  with  salt  water  and  left  ex 
posed  for  twenty-four  hours.  The  rifle  was  then  loaded 
and  fired  without  difficulty.  It  was  not  cleaned  during  the 
firing,  and  it  appeared  to  work  quite  as  well  at  the  end  as  at 
the  beginning." 

The  exposure  of  the  rifle  to  salt  water  for  so  long  a  time 
without  injury,  was  an  additional  demonstration  of  its  pecu- 
liar fitness  for  the  Naval  Service. 

In  November,  1861,  by  Special  Order,  No.  311,  Major- 
General  McClellan  appointed  Captain  (now  Brigadier-Gen- 
eral) A.  Pleasanton,  Captain  A.  Sully,  and  Lieut.  S.  C.  Brad- 
ford, of  the  Regular  Service,  as  a  Board  of  Examination  to 
test  the  Spencer  Rifle.  On  the  22d  of  November,  the  Board 
met  at  the  United  States  Arsenal  in  Washington,  and  after 
a  thorough  investigation  and  trial  of  the  arm,  made  a  formal 
report  thereon,  from  which  the  following  is  an  extract  : 

"  In  firing  it  is  accurate ;  the  range  good ;  the  charge  used 
smaller  than  is  generally  used  in  small  caliber ;  the  cartridges, 
being  in  copper  tubes,  are  less  liable  to  damage.  The  rifle 


166  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

is  simple  and  compact  in  construction,  and  less  liable  to  get  out 
of  order  than  any  other  'breech-loading  arm  now  in  use.'1'1 

Col.  C.  L.  Kingsbury,  Chief  of  Ordnance  on  the  Staff  of 
Major-General  McClellan,  concurred  substantially  in  the  fore- 
going opinions,  and  as  the  result  of  these  several  examina- 
tions, trials,  and  tests,  the  War  Department  ordered  ten  thou- 
sand of  the  rifles  for  the  United  States  Service. 

Many  English,  French,  Russian,  and  Swedish  officers 
(some  of  whom  were  sent  to  this  country  by  their  respective 
Governments  for  the  express  purpose  of  examining  the  va- 
rious improvements  in  arms  and  projectiles  induced  by  the 
present  war)  have  carefully  examined  and  tested  the  Spen- 
cer Rifle,  and  have,  without  exception,  pronounced  it  to  be 
the  best  arm  they  have  ever  seen  either  in  this  country  or  in 
Europe. 

ARMY  AND  NAVY  RIFLES. — The  rifles  now  being  manu- 
factured by  the  Company,  for  the  Army  and  Navy  of  the 
United  States,  weigh  without  bayonet,  10  Ibs. ;  the  length  of 
barrel  30  inches,  caliber  .52,  weight  of  ball,  1  oz. 

CARBINE. — The  Company  manufacture  a  repeating  car- 
bine of  two  sizes,  on  precisely  the  same  principle  as  the  rifle. 
The  larger  size  weighs  eight  and  a  half  pounds :  the  smaller, 
six  pounds.  The  larger  receives  seven  cartridges  in  the  mag- 
azine ;  the  smaller,  nine. 

SPORTING  RIFLE. — The  sporting  rifle  manufactured  by 
the  Company  is  also  the  same  in  principle  as  the  other  rifles. 
Its  magazine  receives  nine  charges.  It  is  arranged  with  globe 
sights,  and  is  adapted  to  the  longest  range.  It  is  finished 
with  the  utmost  mechanical  perfection,  and  to  sporting  men, 
hunters,  and  frontiersmen,  it  presents  a  combination  of  ad- 
vantages hitherto  unattained  by  any  arm  in  the  world. 

The  material  used,  and  the  mechanical  skill  employed  in 
the  manufacture  of  the  Spencer  Rifle,  Carbines,  and  Sporting 
Rifle,  are  the  very  best  that  can  be  found  in  the  country,  or 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  167 

imported  from  abroad.  No  malleable  iron  is  used  for  any 
part,  and  the  entire  mechanism  will  challenge  a  comparison 
with  the  work  in  any  Government  or  private  armory  in  this 
country  or  in  Europe. 

Cartridges  are  supplied  by  the  Rifle  Company,  at  the 
lowest  practicable  rates  ;  only  two  sizes  are  used,  and  these 
are  so  distinct  that  it  is  impossible  ever  to  confound  them. 
The  large  size  is  used  in  the  Army  and  Navy  rifle  and  also 
in  the  large  carbine.  The  small  size  is  used  in  the  sporting 
rifle  and  in  the  small  carbine. 

The  preceding  description  of  the  Spencer  rifle, 
which  is  compiled  from  the  advertising  pamphlet 
of  the  manufacturers,  with  the  accompanying  illus- 
trations, will  convey  as  correct  an  idea  of  its  con- 
struction and  capacity,  as  can  be  attained  by  any 
means  short  of  inspection  and  trial ;  and  I  am  ready 
to  certify  from  my  own  tests  that  its  performance 
is  in  all  respects  satisfactory. 

I  haVe  elsewhere  given  my  reasons  for  doubting 
the  expediency  of  making  use  of  the  self-exploding 
cartridges  for  military  purposes.  The  apprehension 
I  expressed  of  danger  from  their  accidental  explo- 
sion, was  based  upon  my  own  experiments,  and  of 
course  was  only  theoretical  in  its  application.  I 
feel  it  my  duty,  therefore,  to  say  that  so  far  as  I 
have  been  able  to  ascertain,  no  evil  consequences 
have  thus  far  ensued  from  this  cause,  and  I  am 
happy  to  add  that  from  all  the  testimony  I  have 
been  able  to  collect  in  regard  to  the  behavior  of 
troops  armed  with  the  Spencer  rifle,  and  who  have 


168 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 


Spencer  Rifle. 


Section  of  Carbine,  showing  cartridges  in  maga- 
zine, with  lever  down  and  breech  open. 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  169 

proved  its  efficiency  in  some  of  the  most  terrible 
struggles  of  the  war,  as  at  Gettysburg  and  Chicka- 
mauga,  the  evils  which  were  predicted  by  military 
men  as  a  result  of  rapid  firing,  have  proved  to  be 
only  imaginary. 

The  details  of  the  effects  of  such  fire  upon  ap- 
proaching bodies  of  the  enemy,  under  which  "  the 
head  of  the  column,  as  it  was  pushed  on  by  those 
behind,  appeared  to  melt  away,  or  sink  into  the 
earth,  for  though  continually  moving,  it  got  no 
nearer,"  are  too  horrible  for  needless  repetition. 

I  do  not,  however,  consider  this  question  of  dan- 
ger from  accidental  explosion  to  be  yet  settled,  and 
still  less,  that  of  the  comparative  excellence  for 
military  purposes  of  the  repeating  or  the  single 
shooting  guns  using  this  description  of  ammunition. 
That  troops  who  had  been  previously  armed  with 
muzzle-loaders,  should  be  enthusiastic  in  their  ad- 
miration of  such  a  weapon  as  the  Spencer  rifle,  after 
proving  how  amazingly  they  had  gained  by  it,  is 
by  no  means  surprising,  nor  do  I  deny  the  obvious 
advantage,  under  certain  circumstances,  of  being 
able  to  deliver  such  a  torrent  of  fire  as  may  be 
poured  from  these  guns,  when  the  magazine  is  full. 
But,  on  the  other  hand,  there  are  corresponding  dis- 
advantages connected  with  their  use,  as  compared 
with  single  shooters  using  the  same  kind  of  ammu- 
nition, which  leave  the  question  of  practical  supe- 
8 


170  HINTS    TO    RIFLEMEN. 

riority  still  open,  and  which  only  experience  can 
decide.  As  I  have  elsewhere  discussed  this  ques- 
tion theoretically  (page  107-8),  I  shall  not  here  re- 
peat the  arguments  there  advanced,  but  will  beg 
the  reader  who  is  interested  in  the  question,  to  refer 
to  the  passage,  and  make  his  own  application  of 
them  to  the  case  in  hand. 

The  magazine  of  the  Spencer  rifle  being  filled, 
the  seven  cartridges  it  contains  may  be  fired  in  very 
rapid  succession,  the  time  between  the  discharges 
being  only  that  required  for  throwing  down  and 
replacing  the  guard  and  cocking  the  lock.  When 
the  seven  shots  are  fired,  the  magazine  must  be  re- 
charged. This  is  done  by  withdrawing  from  the 
breech  a  metallic  tube,  containing  a  spiral  spring 
which  pushes  forward  the  cartridges  to  the  barrel, 
dropping  the  cartridges  into  the  magazine  thus 
opened,  and  replacing  the  tube.  The  position  for 
the  performance  of  this  operation  is  necessarily  a 
somewhat  awkward  one,  as  the  gun  must  be  held 
with  the  muzzle  pointing  downward,  and  the  car- 
tridges inserted  at  the  butt  plate.  It  is  obvious  that 
this  necessity  renders  it  difficult  to  load  while  lying 
upon  the  ground,  the  facility  for  doing  which  con- 
stitutes one  of  the  chief  advantages  of  a  breech 
loader.  When  the  magazine  is  filled,  the  tube 
which  had  been  withdrawn  must  be  replaced,  and 
the  weapon  is  then  ready  for  use. 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  171 

One  of  the  principal  objects  in  the  construction 
of  breech-loading  guns,  has  been  to  do  away  with 
the  necessity  of  using  any  detached  implements  in 
performing  the  necessary  manipulations  of  loading 
and  firing.  At  Antietam,  wherever  a  serious  en- 
counter had  occurred,  the  ground  was  covered  with 
ramrods,  which  had  been  lost  or  thrown  away,  and 
great  numbers  of  which  were  afterward  appro- 
priated by  visitors  as  mementos.  I  have  been  as- 
sured by  soldiers  who  have  seen  hard  service,  that 
in  time  of  action  they  never  troubled  themselves  to 
return  their  ramrods  after  loading,  but  would  stick 
them  in  the  ground  or  throw  them  down  until 
wanted  again ;  and  if  suddenly  forced  to  change 
their  ground,  of  course  there  would  be  great  proba- 
bility that  many  would  be  left,  after  which  the  guns 
would  be  no  longer  serviceable. 

With  the  Spencer  rifle,  the  tube  which  must  be 
withdrawn  from  the  breech  is  liable  to  the  same 
objection,  that  it  would  be  an  encumbrance  just  at 
those  times  when  the  value  of  moments  can  only  be 
estimated  by  that  of  life. 

With  the  single  shooters,  this  periodical  delay 
is  avoided ;  no  deviation  from  the  regular  succes- 
sion of  perfectly  simple  motions  is  required,  the 
difference  of  time  between  the  discharges  (as  com- 
pared with  repeaters)  is  scarcely  appreciable,  and  in 
continuous  firing,  they  are  equal  if  not  superior  to 


172  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

the  repeaters,  in  the  number  of  shots  delivered  in  a 
given  time. 

For  sporting  purposes,  the  objections  I  have 
suggested  have  little  or  no  application,  an$  the  ex- 
cellence of  material  and  workmanship  of  the  Spen- 
cer rifle,  and  the  efficiency  of  its  performance,  will 
insure  for  it  a  constant  and  extensive  demand. 

I  am  entirely  satisfied  that  in  these  respects  the 
weapon  is  unexceptionable,  and  I  desire  that  it  may 
be  borne  in  mind  that  the  arguments  adduced 
above,  against  its  military  use,  are  only  theoretical, 
and  such  as  occur  to  me  in  considering  a  question 
which  is  not  yet  settled,  and  which  is  literally  one 
of  vital  importance. 

Since  the  preceding  was  written,  the  manufac- 
turers of  the  Spencer  rifle  have  sent  me  the  follow- 
ing extracts  from  letters  just  received  by  them,  and 
containing  valuable  evidence  of  the  merit  of  the 
gun: 

Another  letter  from  CAPT.  BARBER,  of  the  Ohio 
Sharpshooters. 

HEAD-QUARTERS  1st  BAT.  OHIO  VOL.  SHARPSHOOTERS,  ) 
CHATTANOOGA,  TENN.,  Nov.  8th,  1863.         y 

SPENCER  REPEATING  RIFLE  COMPANY,  BOSTON,  MASS.  : 

GENTLEMEN, — 

********* 

I  have  just  returned  with  my  command  from  an  expedi- 
tion, in  which  we  haye  had  a  good  opportunity  to  test  our 
rifles  with  the  rebel  sharpshooters.  About  six  miles  below 


HINTS   TO   KIFLK&IEN.  173 

Chattanooga,  the  main  road,  over  which  supplies  for  the 
whole  army  must  be  drawn,  lies  along  the  banks  of  the 
Tennessee  river,  the  south  bank  of  which  was  held  by  the 
enemy,  and  their  sharpshooters  played  havoc  with  our  teams 
and  drivers.  The  river  is  500  yards  wide.  I  was  ordered  to 
protect  tne  road.  The  18th  Ky.,  armed  with  the  Enfield 
rifle,  had  been  skirmishing  with  them  for  two  days,  and  lost 
three  men,  and  had  no  effect  on  the  enemy.  The  first  day 
we  opened  on  them  we  killed  two,  wounded  several,  and 
drove  them  from  every  position  along  the  river ;  we  found  by 
actual  trial  that  our  guns  had  longer  range  and  greater  accu- 
racy. We  seldom  missed  at  700  yards.  I  had  125  men  with 
me,  and  for  two  weeks  kept  600  reb's  at  bay,  and,  as  I  after- 
ward learned,  killed  and  wounded  over  thirty,  with  a  loss 
of  one  man  wounded. 

It  was  a  genuine  trial  of  arms,  and  resulted  in  proving  the 
superiority  of  the  Spencer  Repeating  Rifle  over  every  other 
arm  in  the  service. 

Gen.  Reynolds,  Chief  of  Staff,  said  to  me,  "  It  is  the  best 
rifle  on  the  face  of  the  earth,"  and  I  am  fully  convinced  that 

his  remark  is  literally  true. 

********* 

+  I  am,  very  respectfully, 

Your  obedient  servant, 

G.  M.  BARBER, 
Capt.  Com'g  1st.  Bat.  O.  V.  S.  S. 

Col.  John  T.  Wilder,  commanding  the  celebrated  Brigade 
of  Mounted  Infantry  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  called 
sometimes  the  "  Hatchet "  and  "  Self-Sustaining  "  Brigade, 
well  known  for  their  gallant  and  constant  service,  writes  the 
following  letter  in  regard  to  the  Rifle. 

[COPY] 

GREENSBURQ,  IND.,  November  28th,  1863. 

AGENT  SPENCER  REPEATING  RIFLE  COMPANY,  BOSTON, 

MASS.  : 

DEAR  SIR, — Your  favor,  requesting  my  opinion  concern- 
ing your  Repeating  Rifle  came  to  hand,  and  in  reply  I  am 


174  HINTS   TO   EIFLEMEN. 

happy  to  state,  as  the  result  of  about  eight  months'  constant 
practice  with  them,  that  I  believe  them  to  be  the  best  arm 
for  army  use  that  I  have  ever  seen ;  my  Brigade  of  Mounted 
Infantry  have  repeatedly  routed  and  driven  largely  superior 
forces  of  rebels,  in  some  instances  five  or  six  times  our  num- 
ber, and  this  result  is  mainly  due  to  our  being  armed  with 
the  Spencer  Repeating  Rifle.  Since  using  this  gun  we  have 
never  been  driven  a  single  rod  by  any  kind  of  force  or  num- 
ber of  the  enemy.  At  Hoover's  Gap,  in  Tennessee,  on  June 
24th,  1863,  one  of  my  regiments  fairly  defeated  a  rebel  bri- 
gade of  five  regiments ;  they  admitted  a  loss  of  over  five  hun- 
dred, whilst  our  loss  was  forty-seven. 

My  experience  is  that  no  line  of  men,  who  come  within 
fifty  yards  of  another  force  armed  with  the  Spencer  Repeat- 
ing Rifles,  can  either  get  away  alive,  or  reach  them  with  a 
charge,  as  in  either  case  they  are  certain  to  be  destroyed  by 
the  terrible  fire  poured  into  their  ranks  by  cool  men  thus 
armed. 

My  men  feel  as  if  it  is  impossible  to  be  whipped,  and  the 
confidence  inspired  by  these  arms,  added  to  their  terribly 
destructive  capacity,  fully  quadruples  the  effectiveness  of  my 
command. 

If  the  Government  would  expend  the  large  SUITES  now  used 
to  induce  men  to  enlist,  in  arming  the  men  now  in  the  field 
with  this  kind  of  weapon,  the  rebellion  would  be,  in  my 
opinion,  speedily  crushed  by  the  only  means  that  it  can  be 
destroyed  by,  viz. :  the  destruction  of  the  rebel  armies,  for  it 
is  not  in  human  nature  to  withstand  the  dreadful  effects  of  a 
well  directed  fire  from  men  thus  armed.  The  gun  has  been 
put  to  the  severest  tests  this  past  summer,  and  fully  sustains 
all  the  claims  made  for  it. 

I  believe  that  the  ammunition  used  is  the  cheapest  kind 
for  the  service,  as  it  does  not  wear  out  in  the  cartridge  boxes 
and  has  the  quality  of  being  water-proof — the  men  of  my 
command  carry  100  rounds  of  ammunition  in  their  saddle 
bags,  and  in  two  instances  went  into  a  fight  immediately  after 
swimming  their  horses  across  streams  twelve  feet  deep,  and 
it  is  very  rare  that  a  single  cartridge  fails  to  fire. 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  175 

As  a  sample  of  their  value,  the  contrast  in  numbers  of 
prisoners  lost  and  taken  by  my  command  is  a  good  criterion 
— our  captures  since  April  last  number  over  twenty-eight 
hundred  officers  and  men ;  our  losses  in  prisoners  for  the 
same  period  number  only  six  men. 

I  am,  sir,  very  respectfully,  your  ob't  servant, 
JOHN  T.  WILDER, 

Col.  17th  Ind.,  Com'g  1st  Brig.  Mounted  Infantry,  Army  of 
the  Cumberland. 

In  another  letter  Col.  Wilder  writes,  alluding  to  the  above 
letter : 

"  My  statement  is  rather  under  than  above  the  truth — I 
could  have  mentioned  a  number  of  instances  in  which  this 
gun  has  enabled  my  men  to  forego  the  hospitalities  of  Libby 
Prison.  We  have  been  cut  off  and  surrounded  a  number  of 
times,  but  always  cut  our  way  out." 


HENRY'S  REPEATING  RIFLE. 

This  is  a  new  Breech-loading  Rifle,  the  prominent  feature 
and  great  advantage  of  which  consist  in  the  great  facility 
and  rapidity  with  whieh  it  can  be  loaded  and  fired.  Any 
person  can,  with  a  few  hours'  practice,  keep  up  a  continuous 
fire  of  twenty  shots  per  minute,  and  an  expert  from  practice 
can  fire  it  thirty  times  a  minute,  which  is  twice  as  fast  as 
any  other  breech-loading  gun  can  be  loaded  and  fired. 

In  accuracy,  power,  and  durability,  it  is  equal  to  the  best 
rifles  made  of  corresponding  weight  and  caliber. 

The  only  size  yet  made  is  with  a  barrel  24  inches  long, 
caliber  -^  inch,  weighing  10  Ibs.,  and  carrying  a  conical  ball 
of  32  to  the  lb.,  designed  especially  as  a  sporting  rifle  for 
hunting  buffalo,  bears,  deer,  &c. 

The  principle  of  its  construction  is  applicable  to  rifles, 
inuekets,  and  carbines  for  army  uses;  shot  guns,  target 


176  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

rifles,  squirrel  rifles,  and  all  other  varieties  of  sporting  or 
military  small  arms. 

The  main  feature  is  a  magazine  under  the  barrel,  parallel 
with  the  bore  of  the  gun,  and  the  same  length  (which  in  the 
size  now  made  holds  fifteen  metallic  cartridges),  and  a  lever 
under  the  lock  frame,  which  in  two  motions  (forward  and 
back)  cocks  the  gun,  brings  from  the  magazine,  and  places 
in  the  barrel  the  charge,  closes  the  breech  tight,  and  with- 
draws and  ejects  the  empty  shell ;  or,  if  the  gun  misses  fire, 
withdraws  the  whole  charge.  When  the  magazine  is  filled — 
which  can  be  done  in  thirty  seconds,  or  less — and  the  gun 
placed  to  the  shoulder,  it  can  be  fired  fifteen  times  in  ten 
seconds,  without  removing  it. 

TESTIMONIALS. 

Extracts  from  the  Report  of  Captain  (now  Com- 
mander) J.  A.  DAHLGKEN,  then  in  command  of  the 
Washington  Navy  Yard : 

ORDNANCE  DEPARTMENT,  May  20th,  1862. 

SIR: 

Henry's  Kepeating  Rifle,  presented  by  Mr.  Winchester, 
President  of  the  New  Haven  Arms  Company,  has  been  sub- 
mitted to  the  usual  examination  and  test. 

The  principal  novelty  in  this  gun  is  the  magazine,  and  the 
manner  of  loading  from  it.  It  consists  of  a  tube,  under  the 
barrel,  extending  its  entire  length,  of  sufficient  diameter  to 
admit  the  cartridges  freely.  A  section  of  this  tube,  near  the 
muzzle,  contains  a  spiral  spring,  to  throw  the  cartridges  upon 
a  carrier-block  in  the  rear.  When  the  spring  is  pressed  into 
this  section,  it  turns  upon  the  axis  of  the  bore,  leaving  the 
magazine  open  for  the  introduction  of  cartridges,  of  which  it 
holds  fifteen.  Upon  closing  it,  after  filling,  the  spring  throws 
a  cartridge  upon  the  carrier-block,  which,  by  a  forward 
movement  of  the  trigger  guard,  is  raised  to  a  level  with  the 
chamber,  the  hammer  by  the  same  movement  being  carried  to 
a  full  cock.  A  reverse  movement  of  the  guard,  bringing  it 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  177 

to  its  place  again,  forces  the  cartridge  into  the  chamber,  and 
the  gun  is  ready  to  fire. 

The  ammunition  is  fixed,  metal  cased,  with  fulminate  or 
cap  in  the  rear.  The  hammer,  upon  falling,  strikes  a  rod, 
or  breech-pin,  upon  the  front  of  which  are  two  sharp  points, 
which  are  driven  into  the  rear  of  the  cartridge,  thus  explod- 
ing it. 

The  rifle  used  in  the  experiment  weighs  and  measures  as 
follows : 

Weight  of  gun  complete,      .        .  9.81  Ibs. 

of  barrel  and  magazine,  .  3.35    " 

Diameter  of  bore, ....  42  inch. 

No.  of  grooves,         ....  6 

"     lands,        ....  6 
Width  of  groove,     .        .        .        .10  inch. 

"      "   lands,  ....  10    " 

Depth  of  grooves,    ....  005     " 

The  twist  of  the  grooves  increases  from  1  turn  in  120 
inches  to  1  turn  in  33  inches  at  the  muzzle. 
Cartridges  weighed  as  follows  : 

Cartridge  complete,     .  .        .           295  grs. 

Ball,          ....  216  grs. 

Powder,        .        .        .  25    " 

Tallow,     ....  2    " 

Case,             .        .        .  50    " 

Fulminate,        .        .        .  2   "=  295  grs. 

The  cartridge  used  for  penetration,  in  other  respects  the 
same,  contained  31  grs.  powder. 

The  rifle  was  fired  on  the  16th  and  17th  inst.  as  follows  : 
For  time  or  rapidity,  187  shots  were  fired  in  3  min.  36  sec. 
These  were  fired  in  rounds  of  15  shots  each,  the  actual  time 
of  firing  only  counted.  One  round  (15  shots)  were  fired  in 
10.8  s. ;  120  shots  were  loaded  and  fired  in  5  min.  45  sec. 
This  includes  the  whole  time  from  the  first  shot  to  the 
last. 

8* 


178  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

One  target  was  placed  at  a  distance  of  328  feet,  and  the 
other  at  728  feet.  120  shots  were  fired  at  328  feet ;  270  shots 
were  fired  at  target  at  728  feet. 

It  is  due  to  the  inventor  to  say  that  these  shots  are  not  a 
fair  test  of  accuracy,  as 'many  of  them  were  fired  by  a  person 
unaccustomed  to  rifle  shooting.  15  shots  were  fired  for  accu- 
racy, at  a  target  18  inches  square,  at  348  feet  distance.  14 
hit  direct. 

The  firing  was  then  continued  to  test  endurance,  &c.,  up 
to  1,040  shot,  the  gun  not  having  been  cleaned  or  repaired 
from  the  first  shot.  The  piece  was  then  carefully  examined, 
and  found  considerably  leaded  and  very  foul,  the  lands  and 
grooves  not  being  visible.  In  other  respects  it  was  found  in 
perfect  order. 

It  is  manifest  from  the  above  experiment  that  this  gun 
may  be  fired  with  great  rapidity,  and  is  not  liable  to  get  out 
of  order. 

The  penetration,  in  proportion  to  the  charge  used,  com- 
pares favorably  with  that  of  other  arms. 

Very  respectfully  submitted, 
[Signed]  W.  MITCHELL, 

Lieut.  U.  S.  N. 
Resp.  referred  to 

Bureau  of  Ordnance, 

[Signed]  J.  A.  DAHLGREN. 

HEAD-QUARTERS,  ARMY  OF  THE  POTOMAC,  j 
WASHINGTON,  November  16th,  1861. 

Sm: 

As  I  have  no  doubt  of  the  merits  of  "  Henry's  Repeating 
Rifle,"  compared  with  other  breech-loaders,  I  think  it  would 
be  well  to  purchase  a  number,  sufficient  for  one  regiment, 
provided  the  Ordnance  Department  has  not  already  ordered 
all  that  may  be  required  for  the  service  of  this  army.  With 
the  barrel  lengthened,  it  would  be  an  efficient  arm  for  skir- 
mishers, and,  with  carbine  attachment,  for  cavalry.  Henry's 
Rifle  appears  to  be  quite  equal  to  any  in  service,  in  the  com- 
pactness of  its  machinery,  and  the  accuracy  of  its  fire,  and 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN,  179 

superior  to  others  in  that  it  may  le  fired  15  times  without  reload- 
ing, and  would  not  ordinarily  require  to  be  loaded  at  all  in 
the  saddle. 

Respectfully  and  truly  yours, 

C.  P.  KlNGSBURY, 

Col.  Ch'f.  of  Ordnance,  A.  P. 
To  Brig.  Gen.  MARCY. 

The  writers  of  the  following  letters  are  R.  K.  Williams, 
Judge  of  the  Superior  Court  of  Kentucky,  and  President  of 
the  Mayfield  Bank,  and  W.  W.  Gardner,  a  Senator  of  the 
Kentucky  State  Legislature,  both  of  them  gentlemen  of  high 
standing,  and  well  known  not  only  in  their  own,  but  other 
States  of  the  Union. 

MAYFIELD,  KY.,  March  3d,  1863. 

O.  F.  WINCHESTER,  Pres't : 

The  Henry  Rifle  is  regarded  in  Kentucky  as  the  most 
effective  weapon  known,  and  some  most  astonishing  things 
have  been  accomplished  with  it ;  among  these  we  mention 
one  :  Whilst  the  gallant  Col.  Netter  was  raising  his  regiment 
of  Kentucky  Volunteers  at  Owensboro,  Ky.,  he  sent  fifteen 
of  his  men  armed  with  this  rifle  on  a  scout ;  these  men  were 
attacked  by  two  hundred  and  forty  rebel  soldiers  in  an  open 
lane,  where  there  was  no  timber  for  shelter,  and  the  fifteen 
Union  soldiers,  armed  with  the  Henry,  successfully  repulsed 
and  drove  from  the  field  the  two  hundred  and  forty  assail- 
ants. This  unparalleled  feat  could  not  have  been  accom- 
plished with  any  other  arm  known  to  us. 

Respectfully, 

R.  K.  WILLIAMS, 
W.  W.  GARDNER. 

The  writer  of  the  following  letter,  though  a  perfect  stran- 
ger to  us,  we  are  assured  is  a  prominent  citizen  of  St.  Louis, 
a  lawyer  and  proprietor  of  the  St.  Louis  Rolling  Mills  and 
Spike  Works. 


180  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

ST.  Louis,  Mo.,  June  3d,  1863. 

The  New  Haven  Arms  Company  : 

GENTLEMEN  : 

I  bought  the  first  one  of  the  Henry  Rifles  sold  here,  of  my 
old  friends,  Albright  &  Co.  I  have  fully  tested  it,  having 
shot  over  500  shots.  It  is  certain  death  at  800  yards,  and 
probably  at  1,000.  A  regiment  armed  with  this  gun  would 
be  equal  to  a  whole  division  of  the  army  armed  with  the 
common  Enfield  or  Springfield  stovepipe.  I  have  shot  it  at 
500  yards  against  the  Sharp  rifle,  and  find  it  far  superior. 
Yesterday  I  lent  it  to  a  friend,  a  member  of  the  Old  Guard, 
who  was  going  out  on  a  target  excursion.  After  the  shooting 
with  the  Enfield  rifle,  and  amateur  operations  with  Sharp's 
rifles,  &c.,  my  friend  beat  them  all  at  a  largely  greater  dis- 
tance with  your  Henry.  I  will  take  the  Henry  rifle  and 
shoot  against  any  living  man  at  1,000  yards,  with  any  other 
gun,  and  give  him  100  yards,  if  his  gun  was  made  in 
Europe.  Yours.,  &c., 

A.  A.  VANWOBMEB. 

The  following  letter  from  Capt.  Wilson,  Co.  M,  12th  Ken- 
tucky Cavalry,  is  entitled  to  an  introductory  statement.  The 
writer  is  an  unconditional  Union  man,  living  in  a  strongly 
disloyal  section  of  Kentucky.  His  neighbors  had  threatened 
his  life.  In  consequence  of  this,  Capt.  Wilson  had  fitted  up 
a  log  crib  across  the  road  from  his  front  door  as  a  sort  of 
arsenal,  where  he  had  his  Henry  Rifle,  Colt's  Revolver,  &c. 
One  day,  while  at  home  dining  with  his  family,  seven  mount- 
ed guerillas  rode  up,  dismounted  and  burst  into  his  dining 
room  and  commenced  firing  upon  him  with  revolvers.  The 
attack  was  so  sudden  that  the  first  shot  struck  a  glass  of 
water  his  wife  was  raising  to  her  lips,  breaking  the  glass. 
Several  other  shots  were  fired  without  effect,  when  Capt. 
Wilson  sprang  to  his  feet,  exclamiug, "  For  God's  sake,  gentle- 
inen,  if  you  wish  to  murder  me,  do  not  do  it  at  my  own  table 
in  presence  of  my  family." 

This  caused  a  parley,  resulting  in  their  consent  that  he 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  181 

might  go  out  doors  to  be  shot.  The  moment  he  reached  his 
front  door  he  sprang  for  his  cover,  and  his  assailants  com- 
menced firing  at  him.  Several  shots  passed  through  his  hat, 
and  more  through  his  clothing,  but  none  took  effect  upon 
his  person.  He  thus  reached  his  cover  and  seized  his  Henry 
Kifle,  turned  upon  his  foes,  and  in  five  shots  killed  five  of 
them  ;  the  other  two  sprung  for  their  horses.  As  the  sixth 
man  threw  his  hand  over  the  pommel  of  his  saddle,  the  sixth 
shot  took  off"  four  of  his  fingers ;  notwithstanding  this  he 
got  into  his  saddle,  but  the  seventh  shot  killed  him ;  then 
starting  out,  Capt.  Wilson  killed  the  seventh  man  with  the 
eighth  shot. 

In  consequence  of  this  feat  the  State  of  Kentucky  armed 
his  Company  with  the  Henry  Rifle. 

This  letter  is  in  reply  to  one  asking  for  an  authentic  state- 
ment of  this  remarkable  feat  from  under  his  own  hand, 
which,  in  the  commencement  of  his  letter,  he  promised  to 
give,  but  which,  it  will  be  observed,  he  entirely  omits  (prob- 
ably from  that  modesty  and  dislike  to  recounting  their  own 
deeds  of  daring,  characteristic  of  truly  brave  men),  but  tacitly 
admits  the  correctness  of  the  above  statement. 


MUMFORDSVILLB,  KY.,  Feb.  the  17th41863. 

O.  F.  WINCHESTER,  ESQ.,  President  New  Haven  Arms  Co. 

DEAR  SIR  : 

Yours  of  December  the  31st,  came  to  hand  on  yesterday. 
Thanking  you  for  the  too  flattering  compliments  paid  to  my- 
self by  you,  I  shall  proceed  to  a  candid  statement  of  the  facts 
as  they  have  occurred  within  my  own  experience.  In  the 
use  of  the  Henry  gun  I  have  had  some  experience  in  the 
instance  of  which  you  seem  to  have  been  apprised.  When 
attacked  alone  by  seven  guerillas  I  found  it  (Henry  Rifle)  to 
be  particularly  useful  not  only  in  regard  to  its  fatal  precision, 
but  also  in  the  number  of  shots  held  in  reserve  for  immediate 
action  in  case  of  an  overwhelming  force. 


182  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

In  short,  I  would  state  that,  in  my  opinion,  the  Henry 
Rifle  is  decidedly  the  best  gun  in  the  service  of  the  United 
States  ;  can  be  used  with  one-half  of  the  usual  scouring  and 
cleaning  incident  to  the  guns  now  principally  in  use,  no  more 
liable  to  get  out  of  trim  or  unfit  for  service  than  any  other 
gun,  and  will  shoot  with  as  much  precision  and  as  terrible 
effect  as  any  rifle  in  use  anywhere,  when  in  good  hands. 

In  conclusion  I  would  say,  give  me  sixty  men  armed  with 
the  Henry  Repeating  Rifle,  with  a  sufficient  quantity  of  car- 
tridges, and  it  is  not  an  overestimate  to  say  that  we  are  equal 
to  a  full  regiment  of  men  armed  with  muskets. 

Very  truly  yours, 

JAMES  M,  WILSON, 
Captain  Co.  M.,  12th  Kentucky  Cavalry. 

The  representation  of  this  gun  will  show  that, 
notwithstanding  its  remarkable  capacity  of  repeti- 
tion— the  magazine  containing,  when  filled,  no  less 
than  fifteen  cartridges — there  is  nothing  objection- 
able or  unsightly  in  its  external  appearance.  In- 
deed, in  its  whole  getting  up,  it  is  one  of  the  most 
beautiful,  as  in  its  contrivance  it  is  certainly  one 
of  the  most  ingenious  specimens  I  have  ever  seen 
of  gun  manufacture.  It  possesses  some  decided 
points  of  superiority  over  the  Spencer  rifle,  but  on 
the  other  hand  it  is  in  some  respects  as  decidedly 
inferior. 

The  magazine  is  a  metal  tube  on  the  under  side 
of  the  barrel,  enclosing  a  spiral  spring  connected  at 
the  end  nearest  the  muzzle  with  a  ring  or  sleeve, 
five  inches  in  length,  which  encircles  and  turns 
upon  the  barrel,  by  which  movement  the  upper  end 


HINTS    TO   RIFLEMEN. 


183 


of  the  magazine  is  opened  for  the 
admission  of  the  cartridges.  On 
examining  the  illustration,  a  little 
projecting  piece  will  be  seen  on 
the  under  side,  directly  in  front  of 
the  shoulder  at  the  breech  of  the 
barrel.  This  is  the  finger-piece, 
connected  with  the  follower  on  the 
lower  end  of  the  spiral  spring.  To 
load  the  magazine,  this  finger-piece 
is  drawn  up  to  the  lower  end  of  the 
sleeve,  which  is  then  turned  far 
enough  to  allow  the  follower  to 
rest  upon  the  edge  of  the  magazine, 
where  it  is  held  in  place  till  the 
cartridges  are  dropped  in,  when  it 
is  brought  back,  and  being  re- 
leased, it  performs  its  duty  of  push- 
ing the  cartridges  down  the  tube 
to  feed  the  barrel. 

The  second  illustration  represents  the  manner 
in  which  this  operation  is  performed,  and  gives 
also  a  view  of  the  interior  mechanism,  which,  as 
may  be  seen,  is  perfectly  simple  and  strong,  being 
dependent  only  upon  such  limbs  and  joints  as  can- 
not become  deranged  without  an  actual  breakage, 
which  could  hardly  occur  in  any  service  to  which  it 


184 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 


185 


186  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

could  be  exposed.     By  throwing  down  the  guard, 
the  plunger  or  piston  is  withdrawn  from  the  breech 


Muzzle  of  the  gun,  with  sleeve  turned  aside  and  magazine  opened  to 
receive  the  cartridges. 

of  the  barrrel,  bringing  with  it  the  empty  cartridge 
which  was  previously  fired,  and  throwing  it  out, 
and  at  the  same  time  cocking  the  lock.  The  guard 
is  then  returned  to  its  place,  and  in  so  doing  it 
brings  up  a  new  cartridge  from  the  magazine,  which 
is  pushed  into  the  barrel  by  the  piston,  and  the 
gun  is  ready  to  be  fired.  No  description  or  even 
cursory  examination  can  convey  an  adequate  idea 
of  the  ingenuity,  simplicity,  and  admirable  opera- 
tion of  these  movements,  and  it  will  be  seen  that 
the  capacity  of  its  magazine  is  such  as  to  contain 
twice  the  number  of  cartridges  of  any  other  gun. 
This  constitutes  one  of  its  points  of  superiority  to 
the  Spencer  rifle.  Another  is,  that  the  manner  of 
loading  is  less  objectionable,  and  does  not  involve 
the  necessity  of  withdrawing  any  detached  piece. 
The  difficulty  of  loading  while  lying  upon  the 
ground,  howevf3r,  would  be  nearly  or  quite  as  great 
as  with  the  Spencer. 

A  third  feature,  which  is  an  obvious  advantage, 
is  the  arrangement  by  which  the  hammer  is  thrown 


HINTS   TO    RIFLEMEN.  187 

back  to  full  cock  by  the  same  movement  of  the 
guard  which  withdraws  the  cartridge,  so  that,  on 
returning  the  guard  to  its  place,  the  gun  is  ready  to 
fire ;  whereas  the  Spencer  requires  to  be  cocked  by 
hand  after  the  guard  is  returned, — a  momentary 
operation,  it  is  true,  which  may  be  performed  while 
bringing  the  gun  to  the  shoulder ;  but  the  arrange- 
ment of  Henry's  rifle  renders  it  unnecessary  to  re- 
.move  the  gun  from  the  shoulder  between  fires.  On 
the  other  hand,  the  Spencer  has  a  decided  and  very 
important  advantage  over  the  Henry  rifle  in  the 
fact  that  the  magazine  and  all  the  mechanism  by 
which  its  work  is  done,  are  enclosed  in  the  stock,  and 
not  only  out  of  sight,  but  out  of  the  reach  of  injury 
from  dust,  sand,  or  water,  and  indeed  are  beyond 
reach  of  injury  from  an  external  blow,  unless  it 
were  of  sufficient  violence  to  destroy  the  gun  itself. 
The  magazine  of  the  Henry  rifle  consists  simply  of 
a  metal  tube  under  the  barrel,  which  is  liable  to  be 
indented  by  a  shot  or  an  accidental  blow,  and  such 
an  accident  would  prevent  the  cartridges  from 
sliding  down,  and  thus  render  the  gun  nearly  use- 
less, as  they  cannot  easily  be  introduced  into  the 
barrel  in  any  other  way.  This  liability  is  much 
increased  by  the  necessity  of  leaving  an  open  slit 
on  the  under  side  of  the  magazine  for  the  finger- 
piece  to  slide  in,  and  thus  exposing  its  contents  to 


188  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

the  influence  of  dust  and  wet,  which  would  tend  to 
clog  the  passage  and  rust  the  spiral  spring. 

In  fact,  the  necessity  of  using  a  spiral  spring  of 
such  length,  for  a  purpose  of  such  importance, 
and  where  its  failure  would  involve  the  loss  of 
power  to  use  the  gun,  constitutes  a  serious  objec- 
tion to  both  these  guns,  though  much  less  objec- 
tionable in  the  Spencer.  The  movement  of  that 
portion  of  the  mechanism  also  by  which  the  car-, 
tridges  are  withdrawn  and  replaced,  is  entirely  open 
on  the  upper  side,  and  would  be  liable  to  become 
choked  by  the  dust  which  is  so  common  on  the 
inarch  or  in  action. 

I  have  given  some  of  the  certificates  of  the 
merits  of  this  gun,  selected  from  a  multitude  which 
are  published  in  the  advertising  pamphlet.  In 
speaking  of  its  accuracy,  however,  although  several 
of  the  writers  praise  it  highly,  I  find  that  they  al- 
lude to  it  only  in  general  terms,  and  without  speci- 
fying its  performance.  I  am  bound  to  say  that,  in 
this  particular,  the  shooting  of  the  only  one  I  have 
had  an  opportunity  of  testing,  and  which  was  sent 
to  me  from  the  manufactory  for  the  purpose,  was 
anything  but  satisfactory.  I  could  not  on  an  aver- 
age put  three  shots  out  of  five  into  a  circle  of  two 
feet  in  diameter,  at  100  yards,  and  at  200  they 
varied  four  or  five  feet,  wandering  in  every  direc- 
tion. In  the  trial  reported  by  Capt.  Dahlgren,  14 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  189 

out  of  15  shots  were  placed  in  a  target  18  inches 
square  at  116  yards. 

This  is  better  than  my  experience,  but  certainly 
does  not  indicate  such  a  degree  of  precision  as  most 
riflemen  would  require.  I  tried  the  gun  repeatedly, 
and  called  in  the  aid  of  two  experienced  riflemen 
who  succeeded  no  better,  though  one  of  them  as- 
sured me  he  had  seen  good  shooting  done  with  it 
at  200  yards.  To  my  mind  the  fault  is  sufficiently 
accounted  for  by  the  unequal  spring  of  the  barrel, 
resulting  from  its  being  suddenly  reduced  in  thick- 
ness for  the  five  inches  nearest  the  muzzle,  to  admit 
the  sleeve  which  turns  upon  it.  It  is  well  known 
that  the  accuracy  of  a  thin-barrelled  gun  is  affected 
by  the  improper  adjustment  of  the  bands,  which 
bind  it  to  the  stock,  and  the  accuracy  of  any  gun  is 
destroyed  by  clamping  it  in  a  vice,  and  it  is  reason- 
able to  believe  that  a  sudden  reduction  of  half  the 
thickness  of  the  barrel,  and  then  enclosing  it  in  a 
ring  revolving  upon  it,  at  the  point  where  the 
greatest  strain  of  atmospheric  resistance  is  felt, 
should  have  a  similar  effect.  If  I  am  right  in  my 
conjecture,  I  cannot  but  think  the  evil  may  be 
remedied  by  some  alteration  of  construction,  which 
may  obviate  the  cause,  and  the  gun  is  in  many 
respects  so  far  superior  to  all  others,  that  it  is  ex- 
ceedingly desirable  to  relieve  it  from  this  objection. 
For  certain  purposes,  as  for  instance  in  such  a 


190  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

case  as  that  of  Captain  "Wilson's  fight  with  gueril- 
las, this  want  of  nice  accuracy  is  of  little  conse- 
quence, and  the  power  of  delivering  so  many  shots 
with  such  rapidity  is  of  course  of  inestimable  value. 
My  experience  corresponds  with  that  reported  by 
Capt.  Dahlgren  in  regard  to  its  becoming  leaded  in 
the  grooves.  It  is  the  only  rifle  I  have  tried  which 
has  given  me  any  serious  trouble  on  this  score,  and 
no  amount  of  greasing  would  prevent  it.  When 
trying  its  accuracy,  I  wiped  it  after  every  shot  to 
prevent  its  being  affected  by  it. 


ENGLISH    RIFLES. 

As  I  do  not  profess,  in  this  treatise,  to  give  an 
account  of  the  military  rifles  of  different  nations,  by 
which  I  mean  those  made  expressly  for  the  use  of 
their  troops,  I  should  not  now  allude  to  the  weapon 
which  has  won  so  high  a  reputation  in  the  hands 
of  the  English  soldiers,  were  it  not  that  it  is  quite 
time  that  its  true  history  should  be  more  generally 
known. 

The  system  of  manufacturing  military  guns  by 
machinery,  in  such  a  manner  that  every  part  and 
portion  of  any  gun, — even  to  the  smallest  screw, 
should  be  the  exact  counterpart  and  mutually  in- 
terchangeable with  the  same  piece  in  any  other 


HINTS   TO   KIFLEMEN.  191 

gun  of  the  same  pattern,  was  an  American  invention, 
and  had  long  been  in  operation  in  our  armories,  when 
a  Committee  of  English  officers,  by  permission  of  our 
Government,  visited  this  country  especially  to  in- 
spect them, — and  being  convinced  of  the  value  and 
importance  of  the  invention,  they  had  machines 
constructed  at  Chicopee,  near  Springfield,  and  em- 
ployed a  number  of  workmen  who  were  skilled  in 
their  use  to  go  with  them  to  England,  and  having 
established  the  manufactory  at  Enfield,  they  pro- 
duced the  rifle  which  goes  by  that  name ;  a  very 
excellent  military  weapon,  differing  but  little  if  at 
all  from  our  Springfield  rifle. 

ENFIELD   EIFLE. 

The  superintendent  and  three  of  the  foremen 
connected  with  the  Enfield  armory  for  the  first 
four  years  of  its  existence,  were  Americans,  who 
had  been  previously  attached  to  the  Springfield 
Armory.  Another  American  has  since  started  the 
works  of  the  "  London  Armory  Company  "  in  that 
city,  and  is  now  superintending  the  construction  of 
an  immense  armory  at  Birmingham,  and  nearly  all 
the  machinery  and  tools  for  both  these  establish- 
ments were  made  at  the  "  Ames  Manufacturing 
Company's  "  works  at  Chicopee. 

To  all  this  no  generous  mind  would  object,  and 


192  HINTS   TO   KIFLEMEN. 

I  have  never  heard  it  alluded  to  but  with  pleasure, 
as  an  obviously  complimentary  tribute  to  the  skill 
of  our  mechanics. 

But  that  these  facts  are  not  as  widely  known  as 
they  ought  to  be,  is,  I  think,  sufficiently  evident 
from  the  statement  of  so  intelligent  a  writer  as 
Lieut.  Hans  Busk,  who,  in  describing  the  arms  of 
different  nations,  says  of  those  of  America  :  "  The 
American  rifles  and  rifled  muskets  admit  of  credit- 
able comparison  with  those  of  European  make.  In 
external  appearance  they  much  resemble  our  own, 
which  have  no  doubt  served  as  models  to  work 
from."* 

We  might  well  afford  to  smile  at  the  compla- 
cency with  which  he  gives  us  such  an  encouraging 
pat  on  the  back,  even  if  it  were  done  in  a  supercilious 
spirit ;  but  the  treatise  from  which  the  above  passage 
is  quoted,  is  written  in  so  generous  and  impartial  a 
tone,  and  is  in  many  places  so  complimentary  to  us, 
that  I  cannot  attribute  such  a  statement  to  any 
cause  but  ignorance. 

The  English  sporting  rifles  are  not  for  the  most 
part  such  as  would  fulfil  the  American  conception 
of  what  a  rifle  should  be.  They  are  too  light,  too 
thin  in  the  barrel,  and  the  caliber  is  altogether  too 
large  to  be  reconciled  to  our  ideas  of  proper  pro- 
portions. 

*  The  Rifle,  and  how  to  use  it.  p.  153. 


HINTS  TO  RIFLEMEN.  193 

WESTLEY  RICHARDS'  BREECH  LOADER. 

To  these  remarks,  however,  the  Whitworth  rifle 
is  an  exception,  and  the  breech-loading  Whitworth 
rifle,  made  by  Westley  Richards,  is  constructed  on 
such  principles  that  I  should  feel  no  hesitation  in 
pronouncing  it  a  weapon  of  rare  power,  even  with- 
out the  assurances  I  have  received  to  that  effect 
from  men  in  whom  I  have  entire  confidence.  The 
bullet  for  this  gun,  though  only  Ty^  of  an  inch  in 
diameter,  is  an  inch  and  a  half  in  length,  and 
weighs  517  grains  (nearly  1J  oz.),  so  that  its  weight 
is  nearly  twice  as  great  in  proportion  to  the  surface 
of  resistance  which  it  presents  to  the  air,  as  that  of 
any  other  bullet  except  that  of  the  Swiss  Federal 
rifle,  which,  in  its  performance,  is  the  nearest  ap- 
proach to  the  Whitworth  of  any  rifle  in  actual  use 
as  a  military  weapon.  The  bullet,  in  fact,  is  a 
leaden  bolt,  and  in  order  to  enable  it  to  maintain 
its  proper  position,  with  its  point  foremost  during 
its  flight,  an  exceedingly  sharp  twist  is  necessary, 
and  the  hexagonal  bore  is  accordingly  constructed 
with  a  complete  turn  in  20  inches,  or  one  and  a 
half  turns  in  the  whole  length  of  the  barrel,  which 
is  30  inches.  The  weight  of  the  charge  of  powder 
is  76  grains. 

The  contrivance  for  loading  at  the  breech  is 
very  simple  and  efficient,  and  by  the  insertion  of  a 
9 


194:  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

bolt,  which  is  provided  for  the  purpose,  the  gun 
may  be  used  as  a  muzzle-loader. 

The  ammunition  is  contained  in  a  paper  car- 
tridge, having,  like  Greene's,  a  greased  wad  of  felt 
at  its  base,  which  remains  behind  after  one  dis- 
charge, and  is  driven  out  in  front  of  the  next,  thus 
lubricating  the  bore  for  every  bullet. 

The  Committee  of  the  English  Ordnance  De- 
partment (from  whose  report  I  have  quoted  in 
speaking  of  Greene's  rifle),  express  the  opinion  in 
regard  to  this  gun,  that,  "  as  regards  precision,  it 
is  inferior  to  the  muzzle  loader  rifled  on  the  same 
principle  (i.  e.,  the  Whitworth) — but  it  possesses 
advantages  peculiar  to  itself,  such  as  ease  in  load- 
ing, facility  of  manipulation  (and  consequent  capa- 
bility of  great  rapidity  of  fire),  simplicity  of  man- 
agement ;  is  readily  cleaned  and  .examined,  and  is 
not  subject  to  the  action  of  the  head  of  the  ramrod, 
which  is  found  to  be  so  prejudicial  to  the  interior 
of  all  rifled  barrels." 

An  objection  which  they  make  to  it,  and  which 
is  equally  applicable  to  its  use  for  military  or  sport- 
ing purposes,  is  that  a  long  and  slender  cartridge 
is  necessary  to  contain  the  large  charge  of  powder 
with  the  felt  wad  at  its  base  and  the  long  bullet  in 
front,  which  in  the  pouch  acts  as  a  lever,  rendering 
it  extremely  liable  to  be  burst  open  by  the  neces- 
sary motion  when  on  the  march/ 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 


195 


PENETRATION  OF  DIFFERENT  RIFLES. 

I  give  below  a  statement  of  the  result  of  experi- 
ments tried  with  some  of  the  rifles  I  have  described, 
to  test  their  power  of  penetration.  The  distance 
was  thirty  yards.  The  target  was  made  of  inch 
pine  boards,  free  from  knots,  and  of  even  grain, 
placed  an  inch  apart,  and  firmly  fastened.  A 
sufficient  number  of  shots  was  fired  with  each  gun 
to  give  satisfactory  proof  of  its  average  power  : 


Description  of  Rifle. 

Length  .of 
Barrel. 

Weight  of 
Powder. 

Weight  of 
Ballet. 

Penetra 
tion. 

Maynard,  0.5    inch  caliber 

20  in. 

48  grs. 

340  grs. 

8£iD 

do.      0.35     "        " 

20  " 

36    " 

140    " 

8 

Colt,         0.44     "        " 

31  " 

36    " 

256    " 

9 

Ballard,    0.44     "        " 

24  " 

26 

216    " 

6 

Wesson,   0.44     " 

24  " 

26 

216    " 

7 

Henry,      0.44     " 

24" 

26 

216    " 

6 

Spencer,   0.52     " 

30" 

38 

450    " 

9 

Greene,     0.53     " 

36" 

88 

575    " 

13 

Sharp,       0.52     " 

30" 

60 

450    " 

10 

Ashcroft,  0.52     " 

30" 

60 

450    " 

11 

In  considering  the  above  record,  I  must  beg  my 
readers  to  bear  in  mind  what  I  have  said  elsewhere 
in  regard  to  penetration  as  a  test  of  power,  that  the 
record  of  penetrations  at  one  time  and  place  is  not 
to  be  compared  with  another  made  under  different 
circumstances.  Any  one  who  has  ever  whittled  a 
pine  stick,  must  know  that  the  difference  of  texture 
in  different  pieces  is  enough  to  make  a  difference 


196  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

of  several  inches  in  penetration.  Thus  the  Spencer 
rifle  is  said  by  its  manufacturers  to  have  a  power 
of  penetration  equal  to  13  inches  of  pine,  and  I 
know  this  statement  to  be  true,  for  I  have  seen  the 
targets,  and  have  had  satisfactory  testimony  that 
the  work  was  done  with  the  Spencer  rifle  ;  but  I  saw 
also  that  the  wood  was  of  much  softer  texture  than 
that  in  which  my  experiments  were  tried,  which 
gave  only  nine  inches.  It  is  therefore  absurd  to 
talk  of  abstract  power  of  penetration  as  represented 
in  inches,  and  relative  power  can  only  be  ascer- 
tained by  experiments  conducted  under  circum- 
stances as  nearly  equal  as  it  is  possible  to  have 
them,  and  I  give  the  above  as  the  result  of  such  a 
test,  as  fairly  conducted  as  it  was  in  my  power  to 
do  it.  Moreover,  the  result  even  of  such  a  test  is 
of  little  value  in  proof  of  superiority  of  construction, 
unless  the  ratio  of  penetration  to  the  size  of  caliber, 
and  weight  of  powder  and  ball  be  also  allowed  for. 
We  see  by  the  above,  for  instance,  that  the  Greene 
rifle  has  more  than  double  the  penetration  of  the 
Ballard  and  Henry ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  the 
caliber  of  the  former  is  very  considerably  larger, 
the  barrel  much  longer,  and  the  weight  of  powder 
more  than  three  times,  and  the  ball  nearly  three 
times  that  of  the  two  last  named,  which  are  sport- 
ing rifles,  while  Greene's  is  a  military  rifle  of  the 
largest  size.  The  quality  of  powder  also  is  a  very 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  197 

important  item  of  consideration.  With  the  May- 
nard  and  Colt's  rifle,  for  which  I  provided  my  own 
ammunition,  I  used  the  Oriental  Company's  F.  G. 
sporting  powder,  which  I  always  use  for  my  own 
shooting.  With  the  others  I  employed  the  car- 
tridges furnished  by  the  manufacturers.  Finally, 
for  the  information  of  those  who  are  entirely  inex- 
perienced in  such  matters,  I  would  state  that  six 
inches,  which  is  the  least  degree  of  penetration 
above  recorded,  are  quite  enough  for  any  ordinary 
sporting  service,  and  are  more  than  would  have  been 
generally  attained  with  the  ordinary  rifles  with 
round  bullets,  which  till  recently  have  been  in 
universal  use.  It  has  been  proved  that  a  force 
equal  to  half  an  inch  of  penetration  in  pine  boards, 
is  sufficient  to  disable  a  man,  and  these  guns  would 
maintain  a  greater  power  than  that  for  more  than 
half  a  mile. 

In  this  connection  I  am  tempted  to  speak  of  an 
error  which  is  frequently  made  even  by  men  who, 
if  they  are  competent  to  the  positions  in  which  they 
are  placed,  must  know  better  than  their  language 
would  seem  to  imply.  I  refer  to  the  practice  of 
speaking  of  the  range  of  a  gun  as  if  it  were  a  dis- 
tinct attribute,  instead  of  being  a  power  which  is 
simply  dependent  upon  the  proportionate  weights 
of  gun,  powder  and  lead,  and  the  observance  of  cer- 
tain laws  of  construction  which  are  well  known,  and 


198  HINTS   TO   EIFLEME1ST. 

whose  effects  may  be  easily  estimated  with  sufficient 
accuracy  for  all  practical  purposes.  I  find,  for  in- 
stance, that  the  published  certificates  in  regard  to 
new  guns,  frequently  allude  to  the  range  as  being 
superior  to  that  of  others,  without  assigning  any 
cause,  or  giving  comparative  data  in  proof  of  it.  I 
am  always  reminded,  by  such  assertions,  of  a  re- 
mark of  a  countryman,  who  was  looking  through- the 
telescope  of  my  theodolite ;  on  my  asking  him  if 
he  found  it  magnified  the  object  much,  "  No,"  said 
he,  "  but  it  draws  it  right  close  up." 

Now  the  range  of  a  bullet  is  simply  dependent 
upon  its  momentum,  just  as  the  capacity  of  a  tele- 
scope to  bring  the  object  "  close  up,"  is  the  result 
of  its  magnifying  power,  and  it  is  as  absurd  in  the 
one  case  as  the  other  to  attempt  a  distinction.  It  is 
true  that  a  light  ball  may  be  driven  with  such  velo- 
city that  its  momentum  for  a  short  distance  may  be 
greater  than  a  heavier  one,  which  would  neverthe- 
less have  a  longer  range,  because  the  momentum 
derived  from  velocity  is  sooner  lost  than  that  which 
results  from  weight.  But  from  the  expressions 
which  are  frequently  made  use  of  in  conversation, 
and  in  the  certificates  alluded  to,  the  idea  would 
be  conveyed  that  increased  range  was  attained  by 
some  new  method  of  construction,  the  object  of 
which  was  entirely  different,  and  could  have  no 
possible  effect  upon  it.  No  manner  of  constructing 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  199 

the  breech  of  a  gun,  for  instance,  could  give  a 
greater  range  than  is  attained  by  the  solid  breech 
of  a  nfuzzle-loader.  No  such  object  as  increased 
range  is  contemplated  in  constructing  a  breech- 
loader, and  the  most  that  can  be  hoped  is  to  secure 
certain  other  very  important  advantages  without 
any  sacrifice  of  power  in  this  respect. 

Yet  it  is  claimed  for  many  of  the  breech-loaders, 
that  they  excel  in  range,  when  a  simple  compara- 
tive trial  of  penetration  would  suffice  to  show  that 
no  such  power  is  developed,  or  if  it  exists,  it  must 
result  from  other  causes  than  the  peculiar  construc- 
tion by  which  the  gun  is  distinguished. 

COMPARATIVE  ACCURACY  OF  RIFLES. 

I  forbear  giving  a  detailed  statement  of  my 
experiments  upon  the  comparative  accuracy  of  dif- 
ferent rifles  for  two  reasons.  In  the  first  place,  I 
do  not  feel  that  such  a  statement  would  be  strictly 
impartial,  because  I  have  taken  as  my  standard  a 
gun  to  which  I  have  long  been  accustomed,  and  to 
which  I  acknowledge  a  predilection ;  which,  how- 
ever desirous  I  might  be  to  conduct  my  experiments 
with  perfect  fairness,  could  hardly  fail  to  give  me 
some  advantage  in  its  use  over  the  performance  of 
a  gun  to  which  I  was  an  entire  stranger.  I  might 
satisfy  myself  that  a  gun  was  capable  of  shooting 


200  HINTS   TO  KIFLEMEN. 

well  enough  for  any  required  service,  but  in  a 
comparative  trial  I  distrust  myself  when  I  find  that 
I  always  do  the  best  shooting  with  the  one  I  am 
familiar  with. 

But  in  addition  to  this  I  consider  the  details  of 
trifling  differences  to  possess  only  a  limited  degree 
of  value.  For  instance,  if  a  gun  is  reliable  for  a  six- 
inch  bull's  eye  at  100  yards,  I  deem  it  of  trifling 
consequence  whether  the  average  distance  of  its 
shots  from  the  central  point  of  that  bull's  eye  is  an 
inch  more  or  less  ;  for,  except  writh  a  dead  rest,  not 
one  man  in  a  thousand  but  would  make  a  greater 
variation  than  that,  in  firing  a  series  of  shots  with 
the  most  perfect  weapon  that  could  be  made.  This 
statement  will  be  doubted  by  very  many  persons 
who  know  nothing  practically  about  rifle  shooting, 
but  who  entertain  a  vague  idea'of  the  existence  of  a 
race  of  men  somewhere  "  out  west,"  who  can  shave 
off  either  ear  of  a  squirrel  at  100  yards  without 
otherwise  injuring  him.  But  any  experienced  rifle- 
man will  call  it  a  superior  performance  for  off-hand 
shooting  with  open  sights,  to  put  a  series  of  shots 
into  a  six-inch  ring  at  that  distance,  and  a  mo- 
ment's reflection  will  show  that  such  work  is  quite 
nice  enough  for  any  sporting  service.  For  it  would 
be  pretty  certain  death  to  a  partridge,  which  I  take 
it  is  as  small  game  as  any  rifleman  would  ever 
spend  ammunition  upon,  and  there  are  very  few 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  201 

men  who  would  ever  shoot  at  such  game  at  more 
than  half  that  distance.  This  assertion  will  also  be 
scouted  by  many  readers,  even  among  men  accus- 
tomed to  shooting,  but  it  is  true,  nevertheless,  as 
any  ordinary  sportsman  may  convince  himself  by 
taking  pains  to  pace  the  distance  of  some  of  his 
shots  at  game,  which  (unless  he  has  been  in  the 
habit  of  making  such  measurements)  he  will  find  is 
rarely  so  much  as  he  thinks  it  is. 

Of  the  guns  I  have  described,  I  have  proved  to 
my  satisfaction  the  accuracy  of  the  Maynard,  Colt, 
Ballard,  Wesson,  and  Spencer,  either  of  which 
shoots  well  enough  for  any  possible  demand  of  the 
sportsman. 

I  think  the  Maynard  rifle  will  do  its  work  with 
the  nicest  accuracy  of  any  breech-loader  I  have 
seen,  and  this  opinion  I  have  formed  from  what  I 
have  known  done  by  others  rather  than  from  my 
own  experience,  and  I  refer  for  proof  to  the  targets 
I  have  given  with  my  description  of  that  gun. 

The  best  shooting  I  have  ever  done  myself  was 
with  Colt's  rifle,  with  which  I  have  placed  ten  suc- 
cessive shots  at  200  yards  in  a  space  of  eight  by  six 
inches,  and  six  at  400  yards  in  a  space  of  twelve  by 
five  inches.  These  were  fired  from  a  rest,  but  I 
have  known  five  successive  shots,  fired  kneeling,  to 
be  placed  in  an  eight-inch  bull's  eye  at  300  yards. 
9* 


202  HINTS   TO   KIFLEMEN. 

I  never  have  been  able  to  do  anything  better  than 
this,  with  any  muzzle-loader  without  the  aid  of  a 
telescope  and  patent  muzzle. 

With  the  Spencer  army  rifle  I  have  placed  ten 
successive  shots  at  200  yards  in  a  space  of  fourteen 
by  nine  inches.  With  a  cavalry  carbine  of  the 
same  pattern  I  fired  fifteen  shots  the  same  distance, 
and  found  nine  of  them  within  a  circle  of  fourteen 
.  inches  diameter,  and  none  more  than  eighteen  inches 
from  the  centre.  With  the  same  carbine  at  fifty 
yards  I  placed  five  successive  shots  in  a  two-inch 
ring,  either  of  which  would  have  killed  a  robin  or  a 
squirrel,  and  the  sportsmen  are  not  very  numerous, 
who  would  shoot  a  greater  distance  at  such  small 
game. 

That  the  best  performance  of  a  breech-loading 
rifle,  however,  is  inferior  to  that  of  a  first  rate  tar- 
get rifle  with  patent  muzzle  and  telescope  sights,  I 
presume  no  one  will  pretend  to  deny. 

I  have  given  some  illustrations  of  the  accuracy 
of  this  weapon  in  a  former  chapter,  and  I  now  add 
two  more  representations  of  targets,  selected  from  a 
great  number  in  my  possession. 

One  of  these  was  shot  at  55,  and  the  other  at 
110  yards,  with  a  rifle  made  by  W.  H.  Baker,  of 
Marathon,  Cortland  County,  N.  Y.,  and  shot  by 
Ebenezer  Derby,  of  Cortland  Tillage.  Either  of 
these  shots  would  have  killed  a  humming  bird,  and 


HINTS  TO   RIFLEMEN. 


203 


Ten  shots  at  fifty-five  yards. 


Ten  shots  at  110  yards. 


it  seems  impossible  that  the  art  should  be  carried 
to  greater  perfection.     But  such  shooting  can  never 


204  HINTS    TO   RIFLEMEN. 

be  made  available  in  actual  service  except  from  rifle 
pits,  or  some  other  position  where  a  dead  rest  can 
be  obtained,  and  the  power  is  utterly  lost  from  the 
moment  the  field  becomes  obscure  by  smoke  or 
dust. 


CHAPTEK    VII. 

MY  OWN  CHOICE   OF  A  RIFLE. 

IN  the  preceding  descriptions  of  guns  and  state- 
ments of  their  powers,  I  have  endeavored  to  avoid 
everything  like  partiality  or  prejudice,  and  in  order 
that  I  might  preserve  my  mind  unbiassed  from 
motives  of  interest,  I  have  neither  asked  nor  ac- 
cepted favors  from  any  manufacturers  beyond  what 
was  necessary  to  enable  me  to  describe  their  arms, 
which  I  am  happy  to  say  has  been  freely  and  po- 
litely accorded  to  me.  I  have  published  the  adver- 
tisements of  manufacturers  in  several  instances,  but 
it  will  be  seen  that  my  own  reports  do  not  always 
coincide  with  their  assertions,  and  those  reports 
have  been  generally  based  upon  experiments  con- 
ducted by  myself  with  the  utmost  care  that  I  could 
use. 

My  readers  will  be  able  to  form  their  own  opin- 
ions from  these  reports ;  but  apart  from  the  mere 
questions  of  relative  merit,  I  am  well  aware  that  an 
expression  of  individual  taste  will  be  demanded 


206  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

from  me,  and  I  sliall  be  charged  with  non-cominit- 
talism  if  I  do  not  give  it.  I  have  no  hesitation  in 
doing  so,  and  am  desirous  as  far  as  possible  to  give 
my  reasons  for  my  preference ;  bnt  I  beg  the  reader 
to  bear  in  mind  that  taste  is  a  matter  for  which 
there  is  proverbially  "  no  accounting,"  and  I  neither 
ask  nor  wish  that  any  man  should  be  governed  by 
mine.  I  know  many  sportsmen  for  whose  knowl- 
edge and  judgment  I  have  great  respect,  who  differ 
very  widely  from  me  in  their  choice  of  a  gun,  and 
whose  taste  ought  certainly  to  have  as  much  wreight 
as  mine  in  the  mind  of  any  one  who  is  seeking  for 
information  on  which  to  build  an  opinion  of  his 
own.  Still,  as  I  find  continually  that  men  who 
seek  my  advice  are  not  content  with  learning  my 
opinion  of  the  relative  merits  of  different  guns,  but 
insist  upon  knowing  what  one  I  would  select  for 
my  own  use,  I  feel  that  I  am  in  duty  bound  to 
make  the  statement.  As  a  preliminary,  however,  I 
propose,  at  the  risk  of  some  repetition,  to  set  forth 
the  requisites  which,  with  me,  are  essential,  and 
while  showing  that  my  decision  is  based  upon  the 
fulfilment  of  these  requisites,  to  do  full  justice  to 
the  points  of  real  or  fancied  superiority  in  other 
weapons,  which  lead  those  who  disagree  with  me  to 
a  different  conclusion. 

The  service  for  which  I  have  thus  far  had  occa- 
sion to  use  the  rifle,  has  been  solely  for  shooting 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  207 

large  game,  mostly  in  stalking  deer.  A  somewhat 
extended  experience  of  camp  life  on  the  prairies 
and  in  the  woods,  in  exploring  and  surveying  wild 
tracts,  as  well  as  on  expeditions  undertaken  ex- 
pressly for  sporting  purposes,  has  taught  me  the 
importance  of  economizing  the  number  and  weight 
of  my  equipments  to  the  utmost  possible  degree. 
The  number,  because  every  additional  article  in- 
creases the  danger  of  leaving  behind  or  losing  some 
implement  which  may  be  essential  to  the  success  of 
the  expedition  ;  and  the  weight,  for  reasons  which 
make  themselves  obvious  at  an  early  stage  of  the 
march.  If  one  goes  on  a  mere  gipsying  excursion 
with  abundant  means  of  transportation,  he  may  of 
course  provide  himself  with  whatever  luxuries  he 
may  deem  essential  to  comfort;  but  to  my  mind  the 
zest  of  a  life  in  the  woods  consists  in  securing  the 
greatest  possible  liberty  of  locomotion,  and  relying, 
so  far  as  may  be,  upon  the  products  of  the  chase  for 
subsistence.  I  have  lived  for  months  in  the  woods, 
carrying  no  other  provisions  than  pork,  hard  bread, 
and  tea,  my  whole  kitchen  furniture  consisting  of  a 
knife  and  a  tin  cup,  and  my  chief  dependence  being 
upon  game  roasted  upon  a  stick,  or  fish  wrapped  in 
leaves  and  baked  in  a  hole  in  the  ground.  Two  or 
three  men  may  easily  carry  enough  of  such  pro- 
visions by  team,  or  in  a  canoe  or  bateau,  to  last  for 
months,  and  on  reaching  their  field  of  operations, 


208  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

may  deposit  them  in  a  "  home  camp,"  and  thence 
go  out  on  their  hunting  trips,  carrying  a  week's 
provisions  if  they  wish  in  their  knapsacks.  Six 
crackers  of  common  "  pilot  bread  "  are  enough  for  a 
day's  allowance,  and  five  pounds  of  salt  pork  should 
last  a  week,  though  this  of  course  wrill  depend  upon 
the  game  secured.  In  surveying,  when  I  have  had 
no  time  to  look  for  game,  I  have  lived  for  weeks 
together  upon  no  other  food  than  this,  frizzling  my 
slices  of  pork  upon  a  stick  held  over  the  fire.  A 
small  piece  of  fresh  meat  may  be  cooked  in  the 
same  way,  being  skewered  between  two  slices  of 
pork,  which  will  salt  it  sufficiently  and  prevent  its 
being  smoked.  A  very  small  quantity  of  tea  will 
last  a  long  time,  and  may  be  made  by  steeping  in 
water  boiled  in  the  tin  cup.  Sugar  is  an  unneces- 
sary luxury  which  no  one  will  ever  return  to,  who 
has  once  accustomed  himself  to  do  without  it. 

To  correspond  with  the  requirements  of  such 
service,  the  gun  should  be  as  light  as  is  consistent 
with  efficiency,  and  requiring  the  least  possible  in- 
cumbrance  in  the  shape  of  ammunition  and  equip- 
ments. It  is  obvious,  therefore,  that  the  caliber  of 
the  gun  becomes  a  matter  of  vital  importance, 
since  a  slight  addition  to  the  weight  of  the  ball 
will  make  a  very  sensible  increase  of  the  load  to  be 
carried,  when  one  is  taking  a  full  supply.  If  there 
is  a  probability  of  meeting  game  which  may  prove 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  209 

dangerous  when  wounded,  as  a  bear  or  a  moose, 
one  would  certainly  feel  safer  if  armed  with  a 
weapon  which  would  enable  him  to  deposit  an 
ounce  of  lead  in  his  carcase.  But  in  order  to  get 
the  full  benefit  of  so  heavy  a  ball,  the  weight  of  the 
gun  must  be  increased  proportionally,  and  it  be- 
comes necessary,  therefore,  to  carry  an  enormous 
weight  of  gun  and  ammunition  in  order  to  be  pre- 
pared for  merely  possible  emergencies,  while  for  all 
other  service  a  very  much  less  weight  is  all-suffi- 
cient. It  is  better,  however,  to  submit  to  such  in- 
convenience, disagreeable  as  it  may  be,  than  to  run 
the  risk  of  exposure  to  the  alternative  of  a  conflict 
with  an  enraged  beast  with  no  time  to  reload.  But 
the  necessity  of  carrying  such  a  load  may  be  ob- 
viated by  using  a  repeater,  carrying  a  ball  of  half 
the  weight,  for  it  is  hardly  conceivable  that  any 
animal  may  not  be  stopped  by  a  man  armed  with  a 
six-shooter.  Indeed  any  of  the  single  shooting 
metallic  cartridge  guns  might  be  reloaded  in  time 
for  a  second  or  perhaps  a  third  shot,  which  ought  to 
be  enough  to  finish  the  work  in  the  hands  of  a  man 
of  sufficient  nerve  to  think  only  of  his  aim.  Ex- 
cepting for  such  an  occasion  as  this,  or  the  more 
probable  one  of  coming  upon  two  or  three  deer  to- 
gether, or  requiring  a  spare  shot  to  prevent  a 
wounded  animal  from  escaping,  there  is  no  advan- 
tage to  the  sportsman  from  being  able  to  load  and 


210  HINTS   TO   KIFLEMEN. 

fire  very  rapidly,  and  lie  may  be  hunting  a  long 
time  without  ever  meeting  an  adventure  for  which 
a  muzzle  loader  would  not  be  all  sufficient.  But  if 
he  ever  happens  to  find  himself  in  either  of  the 
above  supposed  positions,  he  will  feel  (if  he  has  any 
of  the  spirit  of  a  sportsman)  that  he  never  before 
had  so  keen  a  sense  of  the  value  of  time ;  and  then 
it  is,  that  the  few  seconds  more  or  less,  required  for 
the  manipulations  between  the  shots,  become  mat- 
ters of  vital  moment.  Then  he  will  learn,  if  he 
never  did  before,  the  importance  of  being  so  familiar 
with  those  manipulations,  that  he  goes  through  with 
them  instinctively,  and  without  taking  his  eye  off 
his  game  ;  and  then  it  is  that  the  slightest  sticking 
of  any  part  or  misplacement,  or  delay  of  even  a  sin- 
gle moment,  becomes  in  his  eyes  a  misfortune  whose 
magnitude  cannot  be  measured  by  ordinary  stand- 
ards. 

In  regard  to  accuracy  I  repeat  here  what  I  have 
said  elsewhere,  that  any  gun  of  sufficient  caliber 
that  may  be  relied  upon  to  place  its  shots  in  a  six- 
inch  ring  at  100  yards,  that  is,  any  gun  which  is 
found  capable  of  doing  it,  when  shot  from  a  dead 
rest  in  a  still  time,  is  good  enough  for  any  service 
for  which  it  will  be  wanted  in  hunting. 

For  shooting  in  the  woods,  and  especially  in 
pine  forests  like  those  of  Maine,  a  barrel  of  20  to  24 
inches  in  length  is  much  better  than  a  longer  one, 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  211 

being  equal  to  any  probable  demand  that  will  be 
made  upon  it,  and  much  more  convenient  to  carry 
through  the  bushes,  either  in  the  hand  or  slung 
upon  the  back,  than  a  longer  gun.  Indeed  if  I  were 
getting  a  rifle  for  indiscriminate  hard  service,  I 
would  not  choose  a  longer  barrel  than  the  above, 
though  occasionally  on  a  river,  lake,  or  prairie,  one 
must  shoot  at  a  very  long  range  or  not  at  all,  and 
then  a  barrel  of  31  or  32  inches  in  length  would  be 
-  preferable. 

Now  I  am  ready  to  acknowledge  that  in  some 
respects  the  rifles  using  the  self-exploding  metallic 
cartridges  fulfil  the  conditions  required  for  the  ser- 
vice I  have  indicated  more  perfectly  than  any  other 
arms.  Neither  do  I  believe  the  danger  of  accidental 
explosion  to  be  practically  of  sufficient  importance 
to  constitute  an  objection  to  their  use  by  sportsmen, 
and  I  am  well  aware  that  they  are  gaining  rapidly 
in  popular  estimation,  as  I  am  assured  by  many  ex- 
tensive dealers,  that  they  now  sell  ten  of  the  metal- 
lic-cartridge rifles  to  one  of  any  other  kind,  a  fact 
which  is  by  no  means  surprising  in  consideration 
of  their  efficiency,  and  the  ease  and  simplicity  of 
their  manipulation. 

Notwithstanding  these  facts,  however,  I  should 
select  for  my  own  use,  either  the  Colt  or  Maynard 
rifle  in  preference  to  any  other.  With  either  of 
these  guns  in  my  hand,  I  have  a  confident  feeling 


212  HINTS   TO   KIFLEMEN. 

of  power,  which  is  not  inspired  in  an  equal  degree 
by  the  others.  In  accuracy  and  force  they  are  un- 
surpassed, and  in  some  particulars  they  possess 
advantages  which  to  me  are  more  than  a  balance 
for  those  which  are  offered  in  other  respects  by  the 
guns  which  use  the  self-exploding  cartridges.  With 
Colt's  rifle  six  shots  may  be  delivered  with  only  the 
interval  required  for  cocking  between  them,  while 
with  most  of  the  others,  in  addition  to  this  is 
required  the  motion  of  throwing  down  the  guard, 
and  removing  the  empty  cartridge,  and  then  replac- 
ing the  guard,  and  this  in  such  emergencies  as  I 
have  stated,  is  an  important  difference.  The  May- 
nard  requires  all  this,  it  is  true,  but  I  have  more 
confidence  in  the  Maynard  cartridges,  which  are 
loaded  by  the  gunner  himself  with  such  powder  as 
he  chooses,  than  in  those  which  are  bought  ready 
made,  and  can  only  be  proved  on  trial.  It  has 
happened  in  the  course  of  my  trials  of  guns  using 
the  self-exploding  cartridges,  that  I  have  once 
found  a  whole  box  of  them  too  large  for  the  caliber 
of  the  gun  they  professed  to  be  made  for,  and  twice 
they  have  proved  deficient  in  strength,  and  on  my 
making  this  latter  fault  known  to  the  manufacturers 
of  the  guns  (who  had  themselves  furnished  the  am- 
munition for  me  to  prove  them),  they  discovered  on 
investigation  that  an  inferior  quality  of  powder  had 
been  made  use  of  in  filling  them,  and  of  course 


HINTS   TO   KIFLEMKN.  213 

without  their  knowledge.  This  would  be  much 
more  likely  to  happen  to  an  indiscriminate  pur- 
chaser, and  is  precisely  one  of  the  kind  of  annoy- 
ances, compared  with  which  any  amount  of  trouble, 
which  enables  one  to  prevent  the  possibility  of  its 
occurrence,  is  to  my  mind  of  trifling  consequence. 
The  cost  of  the  self-exploding  cartridges  is  nearly 
double  that  of  loose  ammunition,  and  if  much  shoot- 
ing is  to  be  done,  this  constitutes  an  important 
item  for  consideration. 

The  equipments  required  with  Colt's  rifle  are  a 
powder  flask  with  proper  sized  charger  (which  may 
be  had  of  the  manufacturers,  of  a  shape  peculiarly 
adapted  to  convenience  in  loading),  and  a  pouch  for 
bullets  and  caps.  In  addition  to  these  I  always 
carry  a  turnscrew  in  my  pocket.  Rags  and  oil  for 
cleaning,  as  well  as  spare  ammunition,  may  be  car- 
ried in  the  knapsack.  I  am  well  aware  that  this  sim- 
ple list  might  be  very  largely  increased  by  the  addi- 
tion of  articles  which  might  sometimes  prove  con- 
venient, but  this  is  all  that  is  absolutely  necessary, 
and  I  never  carry  anything  more.  A  gun  case 
fitted  up  with  implements  for  every  imaginable 
emergency,  each  in  its  nest  of  velvet,  has  no  longer 
for  me  the  attractive  charms  which  in  my  less  ex- 
perienced days  would  have  rendered  it  irresistible. 
I  acknowledge,  however,  that  I  do  not  meet  with 


214  HINTS   TO    RIFLEMEN. 

many  gentlemen  sportsmen  of  such  primitive  sim- 
plicity of  taste  as  myself. 

With  the  Maynard  rifle,  in  addition  to  the  above 
equipments,  a  supply  of  cartridge  cases  and  the  im- 
plement for  loading  them  are  necessary,  but  only 
the  loaded  cartridges  need  be  carried  about  the  per- 
son, as  a  supply  for  a  week's  hunting  can  be  pre- 
pared in  a  very  few  minutes.  The  Maynard  is 
lighter  and  can  be  packed  in  less  space  than  the 
Colt,  and  certainly  is  unsurpassed  for  precision  and 
power. 

Of  the  guns  which  use  the  self-exploding  car- 
tridges, I  should  choose  the  Wesson  for  my  own  use 
in  preference  to  any  which  are  yet  in  the  market. 
To  my  fancy  the  advantages  of  the  repeating  guns 
of  this  description  are  not  of  sufficient  importance 
to  counterbalance  the  objections  which  may  be 
urged  against  them.  The  Wesson  may  be  reloaded 
quick  enough  for  any  probable  demand,  and  its 
compact  and  graceful  form  and  thorough  finish, 
combined  with  its  great  force  and  accuracy,  render 
it  an  admirable  weapon  for  the  sportsman  who  de- 
sires a  gun  of  that  description. 

The  guns  which  require  a  paper  or  cloth  car- 
tridge are  still  less  to  my  taste  than  those  which  use 
the  self-exploding  ammunition.  They  are  not  so 
reliable  for  nice  shooting,  and  the  cartridges  are  in- 
convenient to  carry  and  liable  to  become  injured. 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  215 

Perhaps  a  reason  for  my  distaste  of  cartridges  of 
any  kind,  may  be  found  in  the  sense  of  dependence 
incurred  by  their  use,  which  confines  one  always  to 
the  same  degree  of  power  and  renders  the  gun  use- 
less when  the  special  ammunition  is  exhausted. 

It  will  be  seen  that  my  selection  is  made  solely 
with  reference  to  sporting  service.  My  ideas  with 
regard  to  guns  for  military  use  may  be  gathered 
from  preceding  pages.  From  the  great  variety  of 
opinions  I  have  heard  expressed  by  different  officers, 
I  am  satisfied  that  a  great  deal  yet  remains  to  be 
decided  in  regard  to  the  most  efficient  weapon  for 
field  service.  In  precision  and  range  the  Spring- 
field rifle  seems  to  answer  every  possible  demand, 
but  theoretically  it  seems  incredible  that  it  should 
not  ere  long  be  superseded  by  some  of  the  breech- 
loading  arms,  which  are  quite  equal  to  it  in  those 
respects,  and  so  far  superior  in  facility  of  manipula- 
tion. In  the  Prussian  service  the  breech-loading 
"  needle  gun  "  has  been  introduced  throughout  the 
army,  for  all  classes  of  troops,  and  its  value  is  con- 
sidered to  have  been  sufficiently  and  satisfactorily 
proved.  Yet  it  is  far  inferior  in  simplicity  and  in 
no  respect  superior  in  performance  to  several  which 
I  have  described.  It  is  fired  by  means  of  a  steel 
needle  in  the  breech,  which  is  forced  through  the 
cartridge,  and  driven  by  means  of  a  spring  against 
the  fulminate,  which  is  in  the  base  of  the  bullet. 


216  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

A  great  variety  of  breech-loaders,  some  of  which 
I  have  not  even  named,  are  now  in  process  of  trial 
in  our  army,  and  their  merits  and  defects  will  soon 
be  ascertained  by  the  test  of  experience.  Unless 
the  same  troops,  however,  are  allowed  to  use  differ- 
ent arms  in  succession,  a  difficulty  in  deciding  may 
arise,  from  the  fact  that  each  regiment,  having  only 
the  old  muzzle-loaders  as  a  standard  of  comparison, 
will  be  ready  to  declare  in  favor  of  whatever  breech-- 
loader may  have  been  placed  in  their  hands.  Of 
this  we  have  already  had  curious  evidence,  in  the 
enthusiasm  expressed  in  favor  of  different  arms  by 
the  soldiers  to  whom  they  have  been  given,  and 
who,  finding  them  so  far  superior  to  the  old  muzzle- 
loaders  are  very  ready  to  pronounce  them  the  best 
that  can  be  produced.  An  officer  who,  by  my  ad- 
vice, took  with  him  into  the  field  a  Colt's  rifle,  told 
me  after  a  year's  service  that  he  had  seen  nothing 
superior  to  it,  and  that  nothing  would  induce  him 
to  part  with  it  if  he  were  unable  to  replace  it. 
Another  officer,  after  a  similar  experience  with  the 
Spencer  rifle,  made  an  equally  favorable  report  of 
that  weapon  ;  but  neither  of  them  was  ready  to 
express  himself  in  favor  of  the  general  introduction 
of  such  arms  for  the  use  of  troops. 

For  amateurs  who  value  the  rifle  solely  for  its 
capacity  to  win  matches,  which  are  decided  by  dif- 
ferences of  fractions  of  an  inch  in  a  string  of  shots. 


HINTS   TO   KIFLEMEN.  217 

the  ponderous  telescope  rifle  will  of  course  hold 
undisputed  preference,  for  nothing  else  can  compete 
with  it.  Such  shooting  with  such  guns  has  for  me 
no  interest,  except  as  a  matter  of  curiosity,  in  de- 
veloping the  degree  of  perfection  it  is  possible  to 
attain  in  the  construction  of  the  weapon.  In  prac- 
tice the  guns  are  laid  upon  a  solid  frame  of  timber, 
and  elevated  or  depressed  wi|h  a  screw,  like  artil- 
lery. Streamers  of  light  cotton  cloth  attached  to 
poles  are  fixed  at  intervals  along  the  line  of  fire  to 
indicate  the  direction  and  force  of  the  wind.  The 
aim  being  adjusted,  the  shooter  has  nothing  to  do 
but  watch  the  flags,  and  decide  upon  the  right  mo- 
ment to  pull  the  trigger,  which  he  may  do  himself 
or  direct  another  to  do  for  him,  with  equal  certainty 
of  success. 

A  great  deal  may  be  learned  in  this  way  of  the 
principles  of  rifle  shooting  which  could  not  be  cer- 
tainly proved  by  any  other  means.  The  gun  being 
fixed  and  the  aim  being  mathematically  exact,  the 
effect  of  wind,  of  different  qualities  and  quantities 
of  powder,  weight  of  ball,  etc.,  may  be  arrived  at 
with  a  degree  of  certainty  which  is  unattainable  in 
the  ordinary  mode  of  shooting,  and  which  consti- 
tute in  themselves  an  important  and  interesting 
study.  But  it  is  obvious  that  little  or  nothing  is  to 
be  acquired  by  such  practice  which  tends  to  give 
men  the  power  to  make  a  rapid  and  effective  use  of 
10 


218  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

the  rifle  in  the  field.  This  is  only  to  be  attained  by 
off-hand  target  practice,  which  is  a  noble  and  ex- 
hilarating sport,  indicating  to  the  nicest  degree  the 
personal  skill  of  the  shooter,  and  is  the  only  kind, 
except  the  pursuit  of  game,  which  is  worthy  of  gen- 
eral encouragement. 

If  the  reader  who  proposes  to  provide  himself 
with  a  rifle  has  anj  definite  idea  of  the  use  he 
intends  to  make  of  it,  I  trust  he  may  be  able  from 
the  list  I  have  given,  and  with  the  previous  hints 
on  general  principles,  to  make  such  a  selection  as 
will  meet  his  wants.  It  will  be  seen,  however,  that 
my  list  of  guns  is  rather  intended  for  the  use  of 
those  who  are  not  confined  in  their  choice  by  mil- 
itary rules,  but  desire  only  to  select  an  efficient 
weapon,  and  find  themselves  at  a  loss  among  the 
multitude  of  new  inventions  wThich  are  offered  them. 

Many  men  have  no  other  feeling  on  the  subject 
than  the  patriotic  desire  to  attain  such  familiarity 
with  the  weapon  as  would  render  them  efficient  as 
soldiers,  a  spirit  worthy  of  all  honor,  and  the  good 
results  of  which  have  been  made  manifest  by  the 
services  rendered  to  the  country  by  the  Mass.  Eifle 
Club,  to  which  (or  to  similar  associations  in  their 
own  vicinity)  I  would  urge  all  to  attach  themselves 
who  desire  to  attain  a  military  knowledge  of  the 
rifle  and  its  use,  according  to  the  most  thorough 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  219 

and  approved  system,  which  is  that  adopted  at  the 
"  Hythe  School  of  Musketry." 

Two  instructors  are  employed  by  the  Mass.  Rifle 
Club,  the  one  teaching  Infantry  tactics,  and  the 
other  the  Hythe  system  of  rifle  shooting. 

Captain  Moore,  who  has  charge  of  the  first- 
named  branch,  has  served  in  the  U.  S.  Army,  and 
Mr.  Pease,  the  rifle  instructor,  has  been  drilled  at 
Hythe,  and  served  in  the  British  Army.  It  is 
optional  with  members  of  the  club  to  learn  either 
or  both  branches. 

The  peculiarity  of  the  Hythe  system  is,  that 
most  of  the  instruction  is  given  before  the  learner  is 
allowed  to  fire  at  all.  The  knowledge  of  the  rifle 
and  all  its  parts,  the  theory  of  projectiles,  esti- 
mating distances,  loading,  aiming  while  standing 
and  while  kneeling  (no  firing  from  a  rest  is  allowed), 
all  these  are  taught  before  the  squads  are  taken  to 
the  shooting  ground. 

The  first  practice  in  shooting  is  at  100  yards, 
and  the  pupil  is  often  surprised  at  his  own  profi- 
ciency. By  a  regular  advance  the  distance  is  in- 
creased to  900  yards ;  and  the  patient  learner  is 
certain  in  a  few  weeks  to  become  a  good  shot  even 
at  that  range. 

The  details  of  the  system  are  given  in  Lieut. 
Hans  Busk's  "Hand-book  for  Hythe,"  and  also 
(and  I  think  in  a  more  simple  and  practical  form) 


220  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

in  the  "Manual  of  Target  Practice  for  the  U.  S. 
Army,"  by  Major  G.  L.  Willard. 

An  instructor,  however,  is  necessary  for  the 
attainment  of  the  full  benefit  of  such  a  system  of 
training,  and  few  men  would  have  the  patience  to 
go  through  it  voluntarily,  without  the  stimulus  of 
class  companionship. 

I  have  been  furnished  with  an  interesting  series 
of  targets  shot  at  different  ranges  by  pupils  who 
had  had  no  knowledge  of  the  use  of  the  rifle  pre- 
vious to  their  connection  with  the  Mass.  Rifle  Club, 
but  the  following  summary  will  probably  prove 
more  interesting  to  general  readers  than  a  detailed 
statement  of  progressive  attainment. 

"  The  journal  recently  gave  the  following  as 
specimens  of  the  shooting  done  by  the  Rifle  Class. 
We  have  seen  a  target  6  feet  by  4,  with  a  2-foot 
bull's  eye,  at  which  a  class  at  500  yards  distant 
fired  a  single  volley  of  12  shots ;  10  of  the  12  shots 
were  on  the  target,  none  more  than  18  inches  from 
the  bull's  eye. 

"  We  have  another  specimen  of  individual  shoot- 
ing— target  6  feet  square,  2-foot  bull's  eye ;  five  shots 
were  fired  successively  at  800,  and  5  at  900  yards 
(more  than  half  a  mile).  Six  of  the  10  shots  were 
on  the  target,  one  from  900  yards,  near  the  centre 
of  the  bull's  eye  ;  4  would  have  killed  or  wounded  a 
single  man  standing  over  the  centre  of  the  target ; 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  221 

the  remaining  2  shots  would  have  killed  or  wounded 
both  the  men  standing  in  line  of  battle  on  either 
side.  This  shooting  was  done  with  a  common  En- 
field  Kifle  at  the  practice  ground  of  the  Mass.  Rifle 
Club,  at  Wollaston,  in  the  presence  of  a  number  of 
gentlemen  of  Boston,  by  a  member  of  the  club  who 
never  fired  a  rifle  till  this  season." 

A  very  large  class  of  amateurs,  however,  are 
men  who  have  no  fancy  for  military  training,  and 
who  find  a  pleasure  in  solitary  practice,  or  the  pur- 
suit of  game.  And  the  taste  for  such  use  of  the 
rifle  is  no  less  to  be  encouraged  than  the  other,  since 
nothing  tends  so  directly  to  give  vital  and  effective 
power  to  the  physical  strength  of  a  nation,  as  a 
general  familiarity  with  the  use  of  so  powerful  a 
weapon. 

Such  amateurs  will  indulge  their  own  fancy  in 
the  selection  of  a  weapon,  and  will  be  governed  in 
their  decision  by  its  real  or  imaginary  adaptation  to 
their  peculiar  wants  and  means.  Apart  from  the 
question  of  efficiency,  most  men  will  be  more  or 
less  influenced  by  that  of  symmetry.  Extraneous 
ornament  is  to  my  eye  offensive.  I  want  only 
thorough  finish,  and  that  in  the  most  compact  and 
symmetrical  form.  The  turn  of  the  stock,  the  fit- 
tings of  the  parts,  the  action  of  the  lock,  the  balance 
at  a  trail  or  in  aiming,  are  all  points  of  importance 
to  my  taste.  I  find  a  pleasure  in  using,  or  even  in 


222  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

looking  at  a  weapon  which  conforms  to  my  taste  in 
these  particulars,  which  is  at  once  disturbed  by 
their  deficiency,  or  by  the  presence  of  any  unseemly 
addition,  which  mars  the  general  sense  of  propor- 
tion or  interferes  in  any  way  with  its  efficiency  of 
action  or  ease  of  manipulation. 

Whatever  gun  is  selected,  however,  there  is  one 
injunction  I  would  impress  upon  its  owner  as  abso- 
lutely essential  to  its  continued  good  performance, 
and  that  is  that  it  be  kept  scrupulously  clean.  It  is 
urged  in  favor  of  many  of  the  breech-loaders,  that 
they  clean  themselves  at  every  shot,  and  there  is  no 
doubt  that  some  of  them  do  so,  at  least  to  a  greater 
degree  than  a  muzzle-loader.  But  it  is  certain  that 
every  bullet  must  sweep  out  the  residuum  of  the 
previous  charge,  and  I  know  that  the  accuracy  of 
its  flight  may  be  thus  seriously  affected,  and  in  tar- 
get shooting,  I  find  a  perceptible  advantage  from 
wiping  my  barrel  after  every  shot.  At  all  events 
no  rifle  should  ever  be  put  away  for  a  single  night 
without  being  carefully  swabbed  with  wet,  dry,  and 
oiled  rags.  The  nipples  should  always  be  cleaned 
after  use,  and  frequently  removed  and  oiled ;  the 
machinery  of  the  lock  should  always  be  kept  in 
perfect  order,  and  whenever  the  gun  is  laid  aside  it 
should  be  rubbed,  stock,  lock,  and  barrel,  first  with 
an  oiled  and  then  with  a  dry  rag.  In  regard  to  the 
kind  of  oil  I  am  not  such  a  quiddle  as  some  sports- 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

men  whom  I  have  known.  I  use  the  best  sperm 
oil  I  can  get,  but  am  only  careful  not  to  use  vege- 
table oils,  which  are  liable  to  get  gummy. 

In  regard  to  powder  I  advise  beginners  to  ex- 
periment with  different  kinds,  and  observe  their 
different  effects,  and  they  will  thus  learn  more,  and 
remember  it  better,  than  they  can  possibly  do  from 
written  directions.  Try  target  shooting  at  any  dis- 
tance you  are  used  to,  and  having  ascertained  the 
proper  arrangement  of  your  sights  for  one  kind  of 
powder,  try  another,  with  the  sights  at  the  same 
elevation,  and  see  how  it  compares  with  the  first  in 
a  series  of  shots.  You  will  find  it  necessary  to  give 
more  elevation  for  one  kind  and  less  for  another,  as 
it  is  stronger  or  weaker,  and  having  satisfied  your- 
self which  is  best  for  your  purpose,  do  not  after- 
wards change,  but  shoot  always  with  the  same  pow- 
der, and  if  you  would  economize,  buy  it  of  the 
manufacturers  by  the  6  Ib.  keg,  instead  of  getting 
half  a  pound  at  a  time  in  a  fancy  canister  at  the 
sporting  shops. 

Lieutenant  Busk  gives  directions  for  casting  bul- 
lets, in  "  The  Rifle,  and  how  to  use  it,"  which  com- 
prise all  that  is  needful,  except  that  he  makes  no 
mention  of  the  necessity  of  having  the  mould  well 
heated  before  it  will  turn  out  good  smooth  bullets. 
It  will  become  hot  enough  very  soon  by  the  mere 
a:;t  of  use,  but  I  always  cast  half  a  dozen  or  so 


224:  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  * 

before  beginning  to  save  them.  I  then  find  the 
lead  remains  soft  in  the  mould  long  enough  to  set- 
tle it  by  one  or  two  gentle  knocks  on  the  bottom  of 
the  mould,  and  the  bullet  then  comes  out  perfectly 
smooth.  Before  beginning  I  wipe  out  the  mould 
with  a  very  slightly  oiled  rag,  or  smoke  the  mould 
with  a  lamp,  and  the  bullets  will  then  drop  out  of 
their  own  weight,  whereas  they  are  otherwise  apt 
to  stick.  For  a  breech-loading  gun  I  find  no  ad- 
vantage in  swedged  bullets  over  those  which  are 
thus  carefully  cast.  For  nice  shooting,  however, 
they  should  be  weighed  and  carefully  assorted,  and 
those  of  the  same  weights  used  together.  "With  the 
utmost  care  in  casting,  bullets  of  half  an  ounce 
weight  will  be  found  to  vary  two  or  three,  and 
occasionally  even  four  grains  in  weight,  and  in 
shooting  200  yards,  the  heaviest  bullets  will  aver- 
age an  inch  or  two  above  the  light  ones,  owing  to 
their  greater  momentum  and  consequent  power  of 
overcoming  atmospheric  resistance. 

AIMING  POSITION. 

I  have  refrained  from  giving  directions  for  posi- 
tion, manner  of  holding  the  gun,  etc.,  because  -I 
never  have  been  able  myself  to  derive  any  aid  from 
such  directions,  and  I  have  desired  to  avoid  repeti- 
tions of  such  items  as  may  be  found  in  other  works 
on  the  subject. 


HINTS   TO   KIFLEMEN.  225 

In  order,  however,  to  convey  my  idea  better 
than  I  could  possibly  do  by  any  description,  of  a 
firm  and  graceful  position  in  aiming,  as  contrasted 
with  an  awkward  and  constrained  one,  I  give  the 
annexed  illustrations,  in  which  are  shown  in  juxta- 
position two  figures  which  1  think  no  one  can  com- 
pare without  recognizing  the  difference  I  allude  to. 
Yet  those  figures  are  copied  from  different  treatises 
on  the  rifle,  and  were  in  each  case  intended  as 
guides  to  learners,  and  probably  not  one  man  in  a 
thousand,  looking  at  either  by  itself,  would  notice 
the  ease  and  strength  of  the  one,  or  the  ungainliness 
of  the  other,  which  are  so  apparent  by  comparison. 
The  first  is  from  Chapman's  book  on  "  The  Im- 
proved American  Rifle,"  and  is  a  perfect  repre- 
sentation (from  a  daguerreotype)  of  the  customary 
aiming  position  with  our  be*st  riflemen.  The  other 
is  from  Lieutenant  Hans  Busk's  a  Hand-book  for 
Hythe,"  where  it  is  given  as  the  aiming  position  in 
his  illustration  of  "  position  drill."  I  do  not  think 
that  anything  I  could  say  would  add  to  the  value 
of  what  may  be  learned  by  a  careful  comparative 
study  of  the  two.  An  English  writer  especially 
cautions  learners  against  the  "  American  custom  of 
holding  the  heel-plate  against  the  biceps  muscle, 
instead  of  directly  on  the  shoulder,"  and  for  the 
light  English  rifles  shooting  an  ounce  ball  the  cau- 
tion is  no  doubt  necessary  on  account  of  the  recoil, 
10* 


226 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 


but  with  guns  of  proper  weight,  caliber,  and  bal- 
ance, it  is  needless,  arid  the  difference  of  effect  may 


be  seen  in  these  figures.  It  is  wrong,  however,  to 
say  that  we  hold  the  heel-plate  against  the  biceps 
muscle.  It  rests  rather  in  the  hollow,  between  that 
muscle  and  the  shoulder,  and  the  shooter  is  thus 
enabled  to  elevate  the  breech  of  his  gun  sufficiently 
to  avoid  twisting  his  neck  in  the  awkward  manner 
represented  in  the  English  illustration. 

I  have  read  a  great  many  directions  by  different 
writers  for  insuring  an  accurate  aim,  but  never  one 
which  to  me  was  satisfactory,  and  I  do  not  believe 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 


227 


it  is  possible  to  describe  the  process,  mental  and 
physical,  by  which  the  object  is  attained.     Much 


stress  is  usually  laid  upon  the  necessity  of  a  per- 
fectly steady  hand.  Now  I  do  not  believe  it  is  pos- 
sible for  any  man  while  his  heart  beats  to  prevent  a 
degree  of  motion  in  the  muzzle  of  his  gun,  sufficient, 
if  not  calculated  upon  and  allowed  for,  to  have  a 
perceptible  effect  upon  his  shot.  I  always  involun- 
tarily hold  my  breath  when  aiming,  which  helps 
matters  considerably,  but  I  never  yet  succeeded  in 
holding  my  sights  immovably  fixed  upon  the  object 
long  enough  to  pull  the  trigger.  The  art  consists, 


228  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

therefore,  in  beginning  the  pressure,  just  at  that 
instant  of  approach,  which  shall  insure  the.  explosion 
at  the  precise  moment  when  the  sights  are  alligned 
on  the  object,  and  this  can  only  be  attained  by 
practice. 

Frank  Forester  sums  up  my  own  ideas  on  the 
subject  in  these  few  words.  "  To  teach  how  this  is 
to  be  done  is  impossible,  beyond  saying  that  it  is  to 
be  done.  Practice  and  coolness  can  alone  effect  the 
ability  to  do  it,  even  with  those  constituted  by  tem- 
per, physical  and  moral,  to  attain  the  power." 

My  desire  has  been  rather  to  give  such  hints  as 
may  incite  others  to  seek  and  find  out  for  them- 
selves, than  to  furnish  a  manual  of  instructions, 
enough  of  which  are  already  extant,  and  I  am  sure 
they  will  find  a  source  of  unfailing  interest  in  the 
prosecution  of  both  practical  and  theoretical  inves- 
tigations. 

Yet  I  am  unwilling  to  close  without  a  word  of 
warning  on  one  point  which  cannot  be  too  often 
repeated,  and  yet  concerning  which  a  great  deal  of 
unnecessary,  because  misdirected  caution  is  con- 
stantly exercised.  I  allude,  of  course,  to  the  danger 
of  accidents.  I  am  often  asked  by  parents  my 
opinion  of  the  expediency  of  trusting  their  boys 
with  firearms.  Every  man  who  has  a  son  is  inter- 
ested in  the  question,  for  the  day  will  surely  come 
that  his  boy  will  be  begging  for  a  gun,  and  if  he  is 


HINTS   TO   KIFLEMEN.  229 

predetermined  to  forbid  it,  lie  has  need  to  have  his 
answer  ready,  and  in  such  form  as  may  be  decisive, 
for  it  is  hardly  probable  that  the  child  will  encoun- 
ter, between  the  ages  of  fourteen  and  eighteen,  any 
stronger  temptation  to  disobedience.  I  need  hardly 
say  that  I  should  by  no  means  acquiesce  in  the  wis- 
dom of  such  a  decision,  for  as  a  general  rule,  I  think 
every  boy  should  be  taught  to  shoot,  and  yet  I  am 
sure  that  no  man  can  have  a  greater  apprehension 
of  the  danger  of  an  ignorant  and  careless  use  of 
firearms  than  I  have,  and  in  fact  it  is  my  conscious- 
ness that  the  danger  is  always  the  result  of  one  of 
these  faults,  which  constitutes  the  strongest  argu- 
ment in  my  mind  in  favor  of  having  every  boy 
properly  instructed  in  their  use. 

If,  however,  the  boy  is  clumsy  and  awkward  in 
his  ordinary  manipulations  of  tools  and  toys,  or  if 
he  is  habitually  foolhardy,  careless,  or  forgetful,  I 
would  not  trust  him  without  severe  training,  and 
constant  watchfulness,  till  he  had  acquired  a  dif- 
ferent habit,  and  I  grant  that  in  some  cases  it  is 
next  to  an  impossibility  to  overcome  the  faults  or 
deficiencies  of  such  a  nature.  But  if  he  is  reason- 
ably careful  and  sagacious,  and  naturally  handy,  I 
should  feel  no  hesitation  in  putting  a  gun  in  his 
hands  and  allowing  him  to  use  it,  after  careful  in- 
struction in  its  principles,  and  being  satisfied  that 
he  not  only  understood,  but  habitually  attended  to 


230  HINTS    TO   RIFLEMEN. 

them.  The  trouble  in  most  cases  is,  that  the  father 
is  unable,  or  has  not  the  time  himself  to  give  the 
necessary  instruction,  and  the  boy  is  suffered  to 
take  a  gun  and  learn  how  to  use  it  as  he  best  may, 
and  this  fact  is  sufficient  to  account  for  the  multi- 
tude of  accidents  which  occur.  It  is  as  easy  to  use 
a  gun  with  safety  as  a  penknife,  but  the  momentary 
carelessness,  which  in  the  one  case  results  in  a  cut 
finger,  may  in  the  other  be  a  matter  of  life  and 
death,  and  the  foolhardy  neglect  of  the  plainest 
dictates  of  common  sense  in  the  use  of  firearms  is  so 
prevalent,  that  the  wonder  is  that  accidents  are  so 
rare  rather  than  so  frequent.  I  have  known  parents, 
who  could  not  overcome  their  dread  of  firearms,  to 
make  a  compromise  between  their  owrn  fears  and 
their  boy's  entreaties,  and  suffer  him  to  take  a  pis- 
tol, with  which  the  chances  of  his  injuring  himself 
or  another  are  ten  times  greater  than  with  a  gun  of 
his  own  length.  Not  one  boy  in  fifty  that  one 
meets  in  the  fields  with  a  gun  in  his  hands,  has 
ever  been  taught  that  the  hammer  should  never 
rest  upon  the  cap  in  carrying,  and  they  may  be 
constantly  seen  with  their  guns  at  a  trail  or  on  the 
shoulder  with  the  muzzle  pointed  directly  at  a  com- 
panion, who  seems  equally  ignorant  or  heedless  of 
the  possibility  of  an  accidental  discharge.  Not  a 
summer  passes  that  we  do  not  hear  of  men  or  boys 
being  killed  by  drawing  a  gun  by  the  muzzle  out 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  231 

of  a  boat  or  over  a  fence,  or  shooting  somebody  else 
by  snapping  a  gun  at  him  in  sport,  not  knowing  it 
was  loaded.  It  is  a  mistaken  sympathy,  in  such 
cases  as  the  last  named,  which  would  shield  the 
perpetrator  from  further  penalty  than  the  remorse 
which  comes  too  late.  The  dread  of  such  remorse 
does  not  prevent  the  recurrence  of  the  act,  and  it  is 
high  time  a  more  efficient  safeguard  were  applied. 
If  the  plea  were  urged  in  extenuation  that  there 
was  no  malice  in  the  act,  my  reply  would  be  that 
society  must  protect  itself  so  far  as  may  be  from 
fools  as  well  as  knaves. 

Captain  Marcy  says  in  his  "  Hand-book  for 
Overland  Expeditions  :  "  "  I  have  always  observed 
that  those  persons  who  are  most  familiar  with  fire- 
arms are  invariably  the  most  careful  in  their  use. 
That  finished  sportsman  and  wonderful  shot,  Cap- 
tain Martin  Scott,  than  whom  a  more  gallant  sol- 
dier never  fought  a  battle,  was  the  most  careful 
man  with  firearms  I  ever  knew,  and  up  to  the  time 
that  he  received  his  death  wound  on  the  bloody 
field  of  Molino  del  Key,  he  never  ceased  his  cau- 
tionary advice  to  young  officers  on  this  subject. 
His  extended  experience  and  intimate  acquaint- 
ance with  the  use  of  arms,  had  fully  impressed 
him  with  its  importance,  and  no  man  ever  lived 
whose  opinions  on  this  subject  should  carry  greater 
weight." 


232  HINTS   TO   KIFLEMEN. 

In  my  opinion,  instruction  in  the  use  of  firearms 
should  be  a  part  of  the  regular  system  in  our  public 
schools.  It  is  already  practised  to  some  extent  in 
Boston  and  vicinity,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  it  may 
soon  become  universal.  Meantime  there  is  one 
rule  which  every  father  may  impress  upon  his  boy 
on  giving  him  a  gun,  and  even  if  he  is  incapable  of 
giving  him  any  further  instruction,  it  may  be  the 
means  of  saving  his  life  or  that  of  a  companion  ;  and 
that  is,  to  observe  at  all  times,  whether  his  gun  is 
loaded  or  empty,  that  it  is  never  for  a  single  in- 
stant pointed  at  himself  or  any  one  else.  By  con- 
stantly impressing  this  rule  upon  him  its  practice 
will  soon  become  involuntary,  and  will  prevent 
any  evil  results  if  an  accidental  discharge  takes 
place. 

But  in  rifle  practice  this  is  not  sufficient.  A 
rifle  bullet  is  easily  fatal  at  a  mile's  distance,  and 
no  man  should  ever  send  one  out  of  his  barrel  with- 
out considering  the  possibilities  of  its  range.  Yet 
many  men  who  know  this  fact  are  constantly  re- 
gardless of  it,  shooting  not  only  at  targets  without 
regard  to  the  course  of  their  bullets  beyond,  but  at 
any  bird  in  a  tree  which  offers  a  fair  shot,  though 
the  elevation  required  must  necessarily  send  the 
bullet  to  such  a  distance  that  it  is  impossible  for 
them  to  know  what  may  be  in  the^range.  It  is 
true,  the  chances  are  that  no  mischief  will  ensue, 


HINTS    TO    RIFLEMEN.  233 

and  most  men  seem  to  be  willing  to  trust  to  chance 
rather  than  common  sense,  perhaps  owing  to  the 
fact  that  they  have  not  enough  of  the  latter  com- 
modity to  make  a  perceptible  difference  of  effect. 
But  this  is  precisely  the  kind  of  carelessness  from 
which  occasionally  an  accident  results,  which  is 
sounded  as  a  warning  through  the  newspapers, 
while  nobody  hears  of  the  thousand  narrow  escapes 
which  indicate  the  frequency  of  such  carelessness. 
I  was  surveying  not  long  since  in  a  field  within  ten 
miles  of  Boston,  when  a  bullet  cut  the  sod  within  a 
foot  of  where  I  was  standing,  shot  from  such  a  dis- 
tance, that  I  had  no  time  to  go  in  search  of  the 
worthy  to  whom  I  was  indebted  for  the  attention, 
and  who  very  probably  would  have  favored  me 
with  a  piece  of  valuable  advice  on  the  subject  of 
being  "  scared  before  I  was  hurt." 

The  danger  from  ricochets,  or  glancing  shot  is 
one  also  of  which  no  one  can  have  a  realizing  ap- 
preciation who  has  not  witnessed  their  eccentrici- 
ties. I  have  known  bullets  which  the  shooter  sup- 
posed to  be  safely  lodged  in  the  hillside  against 
which  he  had  placed  his  target,  to  glance  out  at  a 
widely  divergent  angle  from  his  line  of  fire,  and  be 
heard  cutting  through  tree  tops  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
off.  In  fact,  unless  shot  into  an  embankment  which 
is  very  nearly  perpendicular,  they  will  rarely  fail  to 
glance  out,  and  their  further  course  is  one  which 


234:  HINTS    TO   RIFLEMEN. 

cannot  possibly  be  foretold.  Neither  is  this  danger 
confined  to  the  case  where  the  bullet  strikes  upon 
hard  or  stony  ground.  They  will  ricochet  from 
soft  peat  meadow,  even  when  shot  downward  at  a 
very  considerable  angle,  and  I  have  known  a  bullet 
shot  into  a  stream  from  a  high  bank  to  rebound 
and  lodge  in  a  tree  at  least  fifty  feet  above  its  sur- 
face on  the  other  side. 

The  greatly  increased  number  of  persons  who 
are  now  engaged  in  rifle  practice,  renders  it  more 
than  ever  important  that  these  facts  should  be  con- 
stantly impressed  upon  their  minds,  and  it  is  my 
own  conviction  of  the  general  want  of  a  distinct 
comprehension  and  appreciation  of  the  danger  and 
the  means  of  guarding  against  it,  which  induces 
me  to  dwell  with  so  much  earnestness  upon  its 
details. 

I  should  be  glad  to  believe  that  the  necessity 
for  a  general  knowledge  of  the  use  of  arms,  w^as  no 
greater  than  it  has  been  during  the  period  of  our 
national  existence  which  wre  had  fondly  dreamed 
was  destined  to  continue  as  our  normal  condition. 
But  those  days  are  past,  and  I  find  no  thoughtful 
person,  whatever  may  be  his  hopes  or  fears  for  the 
future,  who  anticipates  a  speedy  return  to  peace 
and  security,  or  imagines  that  the  storm  which  has 
been  so  long  raging  will  subside  without  tumul- 
tuous demonstrations,  and  scenes  of  violence  re- 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  235 

quiring  prompt  and  energetic  action  to  prevent 
their  becoming  revolutionary.  Even  if  we  are  for- 
tunate enough  to  escape  such  dangers,  no  one  will 
deny  the  probability  that  scenes  of  individual  crime 
and  violence  are  likely  to  be  increased,  by  the  pres- 
ence in  every  community  of  men  whose  military 
experience  has  served  only  to  familiarize  them  with 
scenes  of  horror,  while  it  has  unfitted  them  for  the 
peaceful  occupations  of  honest  industry.  Apart 
from  those  who  have  entered  the  army  from  noble 
and  patriotic  motives,  every  regiment,  as  a  matter 
of  necessity,  contains  more  or  less  men  of  the  class 
who  wanted  only  the  experience  of  familiarity  with 
bloodshed  to  complete  their  education  as  despera- 
does, and  the  probability  that  such  vermin  will 
infest  every  community,  and  become  the  leaders,  or 
the  willing  instruments  of  others,  in  acts  of  crime 
whose  magnitude  and  desperation  will  only  be  lim- 
ited by  the  probabilities  of  success,  constitutes  a 
sufficient  motive  for  making  such  preparations  as 
may  render  the  undertaking  too  hazardous  to  be 
ventured  upon.  The  best  possible  safeguard  against 
dangers  of  this  nature,  consists  in  such  universal 
practical  familiarity  with  the  use  of  arms  that  every 
community  may  be  able  to  protect  itself  individually 
or  collectively  from  attack.  Military  organization 
will,  of  course,  become  a  measure  of  national  neces- 


236  HINTS    TO   RIFLEMEN. 

sity  with  us  for  the  future,  and  I  shall  be  glad  if  I 
can  feel  that  I  have  aided  in  promoting  its  effi- 
ciency, by  exciting  the  desire,  or  pointing  out  the 
means,  of  attaining  to  individual  excellence  in  the 
use  of  arms. 


AN  ESSAY  ON  RIFLES. 

BY  EDWAKD   STABLEK,  OF   HAREWOOD,  MD. 

THE  following  interesting  essay  has  been  very- 
kindly  furnished  me  by  Mr.  Edward  Stabler,  of 
Harewood,  Maryland,  in  reply  to  a  circular  letter 
of  mine  soliciting  information  derived  from  his  own 
experience. 

That  he  is  a  veteran  and  zealous  sportsman  and 
a  keen  and  shrewd  observer,  will  be  evident  on 
perusal  of  the  article,  and  for  the  information  of 
readers  at  a  distance  from  the  section  of  country  in 
which  he  resides,  I  may  state  that  his  character  for 
sterling  integrity  is  sufficient  to  put  the  stamp  of 
truth  upon  his  statements,  in  the  minds  of  all  who 
know  him. 

The  figure  in  the  frontispiece  of  this  volume  is 
a  photograph  portrait  of  Mr.  Stabler,  and  the  back- 
ground represents  accurately  a  scene  on  Cheat  river, 
in  Virginia,  which  is  one  of  his  favorite  hunting 
grounds. 


238  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

HAREWOOD,  MD.,  March  20,  1863. 
To  H.  W.  S.  CLEVELAND,  Esq.,  Danvers,  Mass. : 

Through  the  kindness  of  a  friend,  to  whom  I  feel 
under  many  obligations,  I  am  in  receipt  of  a  circu- 
lar, requesting  the  results  of  my  experience  in  the 
use  of  the  rifle.  Without  any  desire  to  obtain  noto- 
riety on  this,  or  indeed  on  any  other  subject,  I  am 
willing  to  respond  to  some  of  the  queries  embraced 
therein  ;  and  if,  on  perusal,  my  remarks  are  consid- 
ered of  any  value  to  others,  I  perceive  no  objection 
to  their  profiting  by  them. 

I  have  been  familiar  with  the  use  of  rifles  of 
various  kinds  for  sporting  purposes — and  in  that 
line  only,  do  I  speak  of  them — for  more  than  fifty 
years.  That  the  rifle  may  be  used  without  detri- 
ment to  civilization  and  social  comfort,  but  often  to 
their  advancement,  is  just  as  true  as  that  it  is  too 
often  the  means  used  to  destroy  and  lay  waste  every- 
thing that  renders  life  desirable. 

Although  always  fond  of  field-sports,  the  pre- 
carious state  of  my  health  for  many  years  compelled 
me  to  seek  relaxation  in  the  open  air  from  the  en- 
graving stand  and  machine  shop.  A  country  life 
afforded  the  opportunity  to  gratify  my  inclination  ; 
and  at  the  same  time  the  inducement  to  take  such 
exercise  as  my  health  absolutely  required,  and 
which  alone  enabled  me  successfully  to  follow  a 
sedentary  if  not  unhealthy  employment.  I  have 


HINTS   TO    RIFLEMEN.  239 

no  doubt,  whatever,  that  my  life  has  been  prolonged 
for  years  and  comparative  robust  health  attained  by 
this  form  of  exercise  ;  generally  on  foot,  often  walk- 
ing twelve  to  fifteen  miles  a  day ;  and  when  my 
business  engagements  would  permit,  inhaling  the 
pure  mountain  air. 

In  my  experience  in  early  life,  and  dearly  bought 
too,  while  subject  to  attacks  of  hoemorrhage  of  the 
lungs,  the  use  of  the  rifle  was  found  to  be  a  much 
better  remedy  than  the  lancet,  then  almost  univer- 
sally used  in  a  threatened  pulmonary  disease. 

Of  course  at  that  early  day  I,  like  all  others, 
used  the  old-fashioned  flint-lock  and  long  muzzle- 
loading  rifles  ;  for  no  one  then  thought  of  percussion 
locks,  waterproof  caps,  patent  cones,  &c.,  much  less 
of  a  breech-loading  and  self-priming  rifle  which 
could  be  fired  15  to  20  times  a  minute  and  prove 
effective  at  eight  hundred  to  one  thousand  yards 
distance.  Such,  however,  is  certainly  the  case  at 
this  day ;  and  but  for  these  great  inventions  and 
improvements,  which  enable  me  at  this  time,  though 
nearly  "  three  score  and  ten,"  to  use  my  rifle  almost 
as  effectively  as  I  could  fifty  years  ago,  my  hunting 
career  would  have  long  since  ended ;  if  from  no 
other  cause,  from  failure  of  eye-sight.  The  queries 
are,  first, 

"  What  is  the  relative  value  of  even,  or  gain 


240  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

twists,  and  what  degree  of  twist  do  you  find  to 
insure  the  greatest  accuracy  ? " 

I  have  never  used  to  much  extent  a  rifle  with 
gain  twist ;  ray  own  judgment  was  against  the  im- 
provement, as  more  likely  in  using  round  balls  which 
require  patching  to  strip  in  the  grooves  ;  this,  how- 
ever, may  not  so  affect  an  elongated  or  conical  ball 
fired  from  a  breech-loading  rifle,  where  the  ball  it- 
self receives  the  full  impress  of  the  grooving  in  the 
barrel  at  the  time  of  firing ;  yet,  still,  this  greater 
liability  to  strip  exists  in  the  initial  velocity  if  we 
increase  the  rotary  motion  of  the  ball.  The  same 
effect  is  also  produced,  to  some  extent  at  least,  by 
too  quick,  though  "  even,"  a  twist  in  the  grooving. 
What  is  required  in  rifle  practice  to  insure  accuracy, 
and  it  is  necessary,  is  that  the  projectile,  whether 
round  or  conical,  should  revolve  on  its  own  axis ; 
more  than  this  impairs  the  momentum  by  increasing 
the  resistance  of  the  atmosphere. 

In  accidentally  witnessing  some  target  practice 
not  long  since  with  a  rifled  cannon  grooved  one  turn 
in  its  length,  fired  over  the  water,  and  where,  stand- 
ing in  the  rear  of  the  gun,  I  could  distinctly  see  the 
course  of  the  ball,  there  was  no  precision  in  the 
firing.  The  balls  were  stripped,  partially  at  least, 
in  many,  if  not  in  a  majority,  of  the  shots ;  the  lead 
torn  off  and  flying  at  a  tangent,  while  the  ball  ap- 
parently, instead  of  revolving  on  its  own  axis  and  in 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  24:1 

a  direct  line,  performed  the  gyrations  of  a  cork 
screw. 

Such  nearly,  in  result,  a  friend  informed  me  was 
the  case  with  his  target  practice,  using  a  breech- 
loading  rifle  of  some  celebrity,  with  gain  twist ;  he 
consulted  me  as  to  the  cause  of  this  variation — re- 
marking that  his  rifle  was  much  more  reliable  at 
some  ranges  than  at  others.  I  could  account  for  it 
in  no  other  way  than  at  least  a  partial  stripping  of 
the  ball,  for  the  rifle  was,  in  workmanship,  well 
made  throughout — though  defective,  as  I  thought, 
in  principle,  in  several  particulars. 

These  views  may  possibly  be  considered  some- 
what theoretical ;  but  practically  I  have  found  no 
advantage  of  the  "  gain  "  over  the  "  even  "  twist ; 
and  my  experience  and  observation  so  far,  is  against 
the  former.  My  engagements  have  not  permitted 
experiments  to  solve  the  problem  authoritatively ; 
when,  at  the  same  time,  it  was  not  considered  of 
material  consequence  in  my  hunting,  for  I  could  do 
as  good  shooting  at  least,  with  the  "  even  "  or  regu- 
lar twist,  as  any  one  with  me  did  with  a  "  gain " 
twist  rifle.  One  revolution  in  four  or  five  feet, 
according  to  caliber,  and  regular  twist,  is  what  I 
use.  In  the  rifled  cannon  alluded  to,  and  to  corre- 
spond in  principle  with  the  sporting  rifle,  the  twist 
should  have  one  revolution  in  about  thirty-five  feet ; 
when,  in  fact,  there  was  one  turn  in  five  feet,  and 
11 


24:2  HINTS    TO    KIFLEMEN. 

the  caliber  of  the  gun  seven  times  greater  diameter, 
with  increased  initial  velocity  also  ;  but  doubtless  it 
was  twisted  on  the  principle  of  "  try  all  things,"  &c. 

"  What  should  be  the  proportionate  length  of 
the  barrel  to  the  caliber,  to  insure  the  greatest  accu- 
racy ?  "What  length  of  barrel  is  necessary  to  insure 
the  greatest  penetration  ?  and  in  what  ratio  is  the 
penetration  diminished  by  increasing  the  barrel  be- 
yond that  point  ? " 

In  my  early  hunting  days,  as  before  remarked, 
I  used,  of  necessity,  the  long  heavy  rifle.  The  old 
rifle,  to  be  effective,  was  held  necessarily  to  be  from 
three  and  a  half,  to  four  feet  in  length  of  barrel,  and 
from  nine  to  twelve  pounds  in  weight.  Such  a  gun 
my  strength  did  not  enable  me  to  hunt  with  ;  and 
I  began  by  first  reducing  the  weight,  and  then  the 
length,  carrying  both  to  extremes,  as  was  then 
thought  by  some.  I  reduced  the  weight  from  ten 
or  twelve  pounds,  and  carrying  a  round  ball  of  sixty 
to  eighty  to  the  pound,  to  a  rifle  weighing  five  to  six 
pounds,  and  some  forty  inches  long,  but  carrying  a 
ball  of  three  hundred  to  the  pound.  The  latter  did 
very  well  for  small  game,  (and  I  frequently  killed 
beeves  with  it,)  but  the  ball  was  too  easily  and  cer- 
tainly affected  by  the  wind,  and  the  rifle  required 
cleaning  too  frequently. 

Being  satisfied  from  all  my  experiments  that  a 
round  ball  of  about  one  hundred  to  the  pound  suited 


HINTS   TO   KIFLEMEN.  243 

well  for  both  small  and  large  game,  if  hit  in  the 
right  place — and  I  experimented  with  all  sizes,  from 
sixteen  to  the  pound  upwards — that  size  was  adopt- 
ed, and  the  length  gradually  reduced,  to  ascertain 
how  short  a  rifle  could  be  left,  to  be  effective  in  aim 
and  most  convenient  in  handling,  carefully  noting 
the  shooting,  as  I  progressed,  both  with  the  rifle 
and  shot  gun. 

The  result  of  all  these  experiments  then  satisfied 
me  fully,  and  subsequent  experience  has  abundantly 
confirmed  them,  that  the  old  heavy  and  long  rifle 
was  wTholly  unnecessary  for  hunting  purposes. 
Without  aiming  at  mathematical  precision  in  re- 
sults, the  conclusion  was  arrived  at,  that  a  rifle  bar- 
rel of  eighteen  to  twenty-two  inches  in  length  gave 
the  greatest  penetration,  all  else  being  equal,  and  a 
gauge  of  TV  inches  ;  i.e.,  the  size  of  a  round  patched 
ball  of  about  ninety  to  the  pound,  or  forty-five 
elongated  or  conical  balls. 

This,  however,  was  ascertained  to  lie  at  the 
expense  of  the  general  accuracy  of  the  rifle.  I 
found  that  from  twenty-eight  to  thirty-three  inches 
in  length,  with  T6F-inch  gauge,  the  penetration  was 
sufficient  for  all  practical  purposes,  while  the  accu- 
racy— and  more  especially  with  a  rear-sighted  gun — 
was  fully  preserved,  and  the  rifle  sufficiently  porta- 
ble and  convenient  in  handling.  That  length,  say 
about  thirty-two  inches,  is  decidedly  preferred,  both 


24:4:  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

for  my  shot  and  rifle  barrels,  except  at  long  range 
and  for  wild  fowl ;  when  1  would  add  six  or  eight 
inches  to  the  shot  barrel,  in  a  5,  6,  or  7-gauge  gun  ; 
i.e.,  1  inch,  T£,  or  |  caliber.  But  as  much  or  more 
depends  upon  the  proper  charge  in  shot  guns,  than 
length  of  barrels. 

The  difference  in  penetration  in  my  "  Maynard  " 
rifle,  with  the  20-inch  and  32-inch  barrel,  small  cali- 
ber, both  j\  gauge,  is  about  5  per  cent,  in  favor  of 
the  short  barrel.  With  the  20-inch  barrel  in  another 
experiment,  and  using  forty  grains  of  powder,  with 
a  conical  ball  of  4:6  to  the  pound,  the  penetration 
was  eleven  inches,  through  two  seasoned  and  sound 
hemlock  scantling,  one  five  and  the  other  six  inches 
thick,  placed  three  feet  apart ;  but  beyond  this  there 
was  no  obstruction  to  the  ball.  The  projectile  used 
was  a  conical  lead  ball.  In  hard  oak^  the  penetra- 
tion would  be  much  less. 

A  much  greater  penetration,  however,  and 
greatly  more  effective  projectile  is  readily  obtained, 
and  with  very  little  additional  trouble  and  no 
expense  in  material  in  moulding  the  balls,  by  a 
pointed  centre-piece  of  very  hard  composition, 
forming  a  compound  as  hard  as  brass,  and  is  also 
as  conveniently  moulded  as  the  soft  leaden  ball ; 
the  shoulder  near  the  point  being  of  rather  less 
diameter  than  the  full  size  after  the  lead  is  cast 
round  it,  and  just  sufficient  to  escape  the  grooves. 


HINTS   TO    RIFLEMEN.  245 

The  point,  of  this  shape,  showing  a 
section  of  the  projectile,  and  pre- 
cisely the  same  cone  as  the  finished 
ball,  is  dropped  into  the  mould  be- 
fore casting  the  lead,  and  readily  retains  its  position 
there.  To  prevent  the  possibility  of  separation  of 
the  two  metals,  they  may  be  amalgamated  or  sol- 
dered together  by  a  very  simple  process,  without 
any  additional  trouble.  After  many  experiments 
to  determine  the  best  kind  of  metal,  or  alloys  of 
different  metals,  for  the  points, — from  tin  to  hard- 
ened cast  steel,  I  find  zinc  to  be  the  most  eco- 
nomical, and  quite  efficient ;  as  it  does  not  batter 
in  the  least  when  fired  into  the  hardest  seasoned 
wood. 

The  advantage  to  the  sportsman  and  hunter, 
must  be  most  obvious  ;  for,  if  the  hard-pointed  ball 
strikes  a  small  limb  or  bush,  it  will  not  batter  and 
glance  off,  lut  goes  through  and  keeps  its  course,  or 
nearly  so ;  and  even  a  lone  will  scarcely  turn  and 
will  not  stop  it. 

By  actual  and  repeated  experiments  I  find  the 
difference  in  penetration  between  the  hard-pointed 
and  leaden  ball,  fired  into  very  hard  seasoned  white 
oak,  more  than  double,  and  with  precisely  the  same 
charge  of  powder.  And  comparing  it  with  the 
Enfield  rifle  and  its  usual  cartridge  of  60  grains  of 
powder  and  ounce  lead  ball,  the  difference  is  almost 


246  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

three  to  one  in  favor  of  my  small-caliber  Maynard 
and  hard-pointed  ball,  and  with  only  halftliQ  charge 
of  powder.  It  also  readily  penetrates  wrought  or 
cast  iron  where  the  leaden  ball  makes  no  impression 
whatever. 

"  What  form  of  projectile  does  your  experience 
prove  to  be  the  most  reliable  for  accurate  shooting? 
and  what  do  you  find  to  be  the  best  proportionate 
weight  of  powder  and  lead  ? " 

With  muzzle-loading  rifles,  I  prefer  the  round 
ball ;  as  I  have  found  it  very  difficult  if  not  imprac- 
ticable to  load  a  conical  ball  properly  with  the  rod, 
so  as  to  shoot  with  accuracy  and  uniformity,  at  any 
range.*  But  with  a  well-constructed  breech-load- 
ing rifle,  and  using  an  accurately  fitting  metal  car- 
tridge, I  as  decidedly  prefer  the  conical  ball. 

My  usual  charge  of  powder  for  a  T6¥  gauge  rifle, 
is  about  one  fifth  the-  weight  of  the  ball ;  using  Curtis 
and  Harvey's  powder  altogether  [and  coarse  grain,  as 
it  is  much  less  liable  to  cake  than  fine]  as  the  strong- 
est and  cleanest.  For  very  long  ranges,  I  would  pre- 
fer one  fourth  to  one  third ;  for  if  the  powder  is  quick, 
that  quantity  will  burn,  and  the  velocity  and  pene- 
tration being  greater,  the  ball  is  less  liable  to  be 

*  This  corresponds  with  what  I  have  elsewhere  stated, 
that  it  is  impossible  to  insert  the  elongated  shot  perfectly 
true  in  a  muzzle-loading  gun  without  using  a  <l  starter." — • 
H.  W.  S.  C. 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  247 

affected  by  the  wind,  or  rather  is  less  affected  by 
the  wind,  light  or  heavy,  across  the  line  of  fire.  A 
very  light  wind  will  materially  affect  a  light  ball, 
in  a  range  of  five  to  six  hundred  yards. 

With  a  conical  ball  of  twenty  to  the  pound,  or 
5-10-inch  caliber,  and  which  two  barrels  [different 
lengths]  of  my  "  Maynard  "  carry,  the  charge  of 
powder  is  only  40  grains,  and  is  all  its  metal  car- 
tridge will  take.  Double  this  charge  would  only 
be  "  proportionate  "  with  the  ordinary  charge  used 
for  the  smaller  caliber,  and  would  require  a  much 
heavier  barrel  to  prevent  recoiling.  Old  Leather 
Stocking  used  to  say  that  "  a  kicking  rifle  never 
carries  a  true  aim,"  and  so  every  good  rifle  shot  has 
found  it.  I  therefore  prefer  a  smaller  caliber,  but 
heavier  barrel,  and  larger  proportionate  charge  of 
powder,  in  all  my  deer  hunting  excursions,  as  more 
effective  and  reliable  at  all  ranges.  If  considered 
by  some  theoretically  right ,  it  is,  in  my  experience, 
all  practically  wrong r,  to  use  a  very  heavy  ball  and 
light-barrel  gun,  with  the  charge  of  powder  by  no 
means  "  proportionate  "  to  the  ball ;  it  is  always 
less  effective  in  aim  and  execution  than  a  lighter 
ball  with  heavier  barrel,  and  increased  charge  of 
powder.  Unless,  indeed,  the  sportsman  desires  to 
shoot  farther  than  he  can  sight  correctly,  and 
chooses  to  carry  a  rifle  of  proper  weight  for  his 
ounce  ball,  say  15  to  18  or  20  pounds,  and  using  a 


248  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

charge  of  some  100  grains  of  powder.  Such  a  rifle, 
with  a  "  telescope-sight,"  and  a  mule  to  transport  it, 
might  possibly  kill  a  buffalo  a  mile  !  Besides  the 
serious  disadvantage  of  greater  recoil,  the  light  long 
barrel  will  spring  in  a  greater  or  less  degree,  and 
tend  materially  to  affect  the  accuracy  of  firing. 

"  At  what  ranges  have  you  been  most  accus- 
tomed to  shoot  ?  and  what  do  you  consider  the  best 
shooting  you  have  ever  witnessed  at  any  range  ? " 

With  muzzle-loading  rifles,  of  ordinary  size,  from 
thirty  or  forty  to  one  hundred  yards,  both  at  game 
and  target  firing  ;  though  at  game,  I  have  occasion- 
ally made  good  shots  at  150  yards  or  more.  But 
rarely  with  any  great  accuracy  at  longer  range 
with  the  common  hunting  rifle,  as  usually  sighted, 
and  loaded  at  the  muzzle. 

"  Have  you  had  any  experience  in  breech-load- 
ing rifles?  and  if  so,  how  do  they  compare  with 
muzzle-loaders  in  all  essential  points ;  and  what 
breech-loader  do  you  consider  the  best  ?  In  describ- 
ing any  experiments,  please  state  as  distinctly  as 
possible  the  circumstances  by  which  its  results  could 
in  any  way  be  affected,  such  as  quantity  and  quality 
of  powder  ;  description  of  sights,  whether  telescop- 
ic or  open  ;  condition  of  the  atmosphere,  &c." 

Within  the  past  few  years  I  have  had  considera- 
ble experience  with  breech-loading  rifles ;  though, 
in  practice,  mainly  confined  to  the  Maynard  rifles  ; 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  249 

yet  have  carefully  examined  the  construction  of  all 
that  fell  in  my  way.  Some  I  would  not  use  as  a 
gift ;  others,  again,  might  answer  very  well  for  some 
purposes,  but  not  for  mine,  being  clumsy  and  heavy, 
if  not  too  complicated  and  coarsely  made,  to  work 
well  any  length  of  time.  A  few  only  were  ap- 
proved. 

I  first  saw  Dr.  Maynard's  rifle  five  or  six  years 
since,  and  in  the  hands  of  a  friend,  while  hunting  in 
the  Alleghany  mountains.  It  had  the  short  barrel, 
only  20  inches  in  length,  and  large  caliber  ;  it  was 
literally  an  object  of  derision  to  our  hunting  com- 
panions, who  were  all  advocates  of,  and  used  the 
long,  old-fashioned  muzzle-loaders.  Yet,  when  we 
came  to  compare  "  the  pop-gun,"  as  they  called  it, 
with  theirs  of  the  greatest  repute,  at  any  distance 
over  100  yards,  all  their  guns  were  beaten.  The 
penetration  was  nearly  double ;  and  when,  at  long 
range,  the  little  gun  was  always  in,  or  close  to  the 
mark,  the  big  ones  were  as  often  as  otherwise  "  no- 
where." 

Soon  thereafter,  the  company  made  a  rifle  for 
me  with  several  barrels,  of  different  calibers,  &c., 
such  as  I  prescribed.  It  was  manufactured  under 
the  direction  and  supervision  of  Wm.  P.  McFar- 
land,  who  is  one  of  the  finest  and  most  practical 
machinists  in  the  country ;  and  if  finished  con 
amore,  it  is  not  any  more  perfect  in  fitting  up  and 
11* 


250  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

shooting  qualities  than  others  generally  of  his  make, 
and  which  I  have  fired,  from  the  same  factory. 

The  barrels  are  of  steel ;  two  of  them  32  inches ; 
two  for  conical  balls  of  46  to  the  pound,  and  the 
others  20  to  the  pound ;  and  for  deer  hunting  I 
would  even  take  the  short  20-inch  barrels,  in 
preference  to  any  muzzle-loader  in  the  country, 
having  compared  the  shooting  qualities,  amongst 
others,  with  a  "  Purdy  "  rifle,  most  elaborately  fin- 
ished, laminated  steel  barrel,  a  ball  gauge,  &c.,  &c., 
and  at  a  cost  in  London  of  forty-six  guineas,  or  $230. 

My  "  Maynard  "  is  light,  durable,  and  very  neat ; 
the  breech-loading  apparatus  throughout,  from  the 
setting  the  ball  into  the  cartridge,  has  almost  the  pre- 
cision and  accuracy  of  watch-work  ;  and  this  I  say, 
after  a  practical  experience  myself  of  thirty-five 
years  in  working  in  brass,  iron,  and  steel,  and  in  a 
business  that  could  only  prove  a  success  by  close 
fitting  and  fine  finishing,  viz.  :  die-sinking  and 
press-making  for  medals,  seals,  &c. 

There  is  no  escape  of  gas ;  and  I  have  never 
known  a  ball  to  enter  the  target  side  wise,  when 
properly  loaded  in  the  cartridge.  By  the  loader,  a 
very  simple  affair,  though  quite  as  ingenious  and 
perfect,  the  axis  of  the  ball  is  set  with  mathematical 
precision  to  the  axis  of  the  bore,  and  it  cannot  vary. 
Loose  ammunition  can  be  used  very  expeditiously 
and  well,  instead  of  the  loaded  cartridge. 


HINTS   TO    EIFLEMEN.  251 

As  good,  if  not  u  the  best  shooting  "  I  u  have 
ever  witnessed,"  has  been  done  by  nay  32-inch  small 
caliber  "  Maynard."  After  properly  arranging  and 
adjusting  the  sights,  and  attaching  a  hair-trigger, 
firing  with  a  rest,  four  successive  balls  at  sixty -six 
yards,  all  breaking  into  the  first  hole,  and  all  cov- 
ered by  a  "  York  shilling  " — a  dime  covered  three 
entirely,  and  nearly  all  of  the  fourth  ball ;  at  three 
hundred  yards  (also  with  a  rest — and  the  only  sure 
test  of  the  accuracy  of  a  rifle)  three  successive  shots 
were  all  within  the  compass  of  a  visiting  card,  or 
less  than  a  two-inch  ring ;  the  nearest  within  half 
an  inch  of  the  centre.  A  companion  standing  by, 
asked  for  a  shot ;  and  though  he  had  not  fired  a 
rifle  a  dozen  times,  his  shot  was  nearly  as  close  as 
the  others  ;  proving  satisfactorily  that  the  gun,  and 
not  the  marksman,  was  entitled  to  the  credit  of  good 
shooting. 

The  Maynard  barrels  are  all  made  of  steel ; 
which  I  consider  far  preferable  to  iron.  It  admits 
of  boring  and  rifling  with  more  precision,  is  clearer 
of  flaws,  and  is  more  durable  in  the  grooves,  espe- 
cially for  breech-loaders,  using  no  patch.  It  is  prob- 
able that  much  of  the  superiority  of  the  Maynard 
rifle  is  owing  to  the  arrrangement  of  the  sights ; 
three  of  them,  front,  middle  (open  with  leaves),  and 
rear  or  "  peep  "  sight ;  the  last  raising  and  sliding 
with  perfect  accuracy,  giving  any  desired  range,  and 


252  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

having  a  very  tine  aperture  ;  affording,  at  the  same 
time,  a  shield  to  the  eye,  and  giving  a  l&ng  range  of 
sight  to  a  very  short  gun. 

I  have  not  used  a  rifle  with  a  "  telescopic  sight ; " 
for  without  it  [to  judge  by  the  time  required  with 
it]  I  could  kill  the  deer,  while  another  was  getting 
ready  "  to  draw  his  bead."  It  is  of  little  practical 
use  in  hunting ;  none  whatever,  in  a  "  snap  "  or 
running  shot  in  the  woods. 

To  be  explicit  and  direct,  as  are  the  last  queries, 
I  will  add  that  the  rifle  referred  to  weighs  8J 
pounds  ;  length  of  barrel  32  inches,  the  conical  ball 
150  grains,  the  ordinary  charge  of  powder  30 
grains ;  and  the  cartridge,  when  properly  loaded, 
is  absolutely  water-proof.  The  rifling  is  with  three 
broad  grooves — the  lands  and  grooves  being  equal ; 
the  small  caliber  has  one  turn  in  four  feet,  the 
larger  caliber  one  turn  in  about  five  feet.  Taken  as 
a  whole,  length  and  weight  of  the  barrel,  size  of 
ball,  and  shooting  qualities,  together  with  true 
scientific  principles  in  construction,  and  superior 
workmanship  and  finish,  all  combined,  it  excels  any 
rifle  I  have  ever  seen  for  hunting  purposes  ;  for  it  is 
light  enough  to  carry  all  day  without  fatigue,  yet 
has  both  length  and  weight  for  steady  off-hand 
shooting.  With  a  rest,  the  aim  is  almost  unerring 
at  any  reasonable  distance. 

The  opportunity  has  not  yet  occurred  to  test  it, 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  253 

but  I  feel  very  confident  that  with  a  clear,  still  at- 
mosphere, and  a  standing  shot,  a  deer  could  be 
killed  at  least  twice  out  of  three  shots  at  five  to  six 
hundred  yards ;  but  much  beyond  this,  there  is 
little  accuracy  of  vision ;  though  at  twice  this 
range  and  more,  the  shot  would  certainly  be  fatal, 
if  striking  a  vital  part. 

From  the  peculiarity  of  ammunition,  the  barrel 
is  kept  free  and  clear  from  fouling ;  and  it  is  re- 
ported, on  good  authority,  that  the  Maynard  rifle 
has  been  fired  five  hundred  and  sixty-two  shots 
without  cleaning,  "  and  worked  quite  well ;  "  nor 
have  I  discovered  the  slightest  indication  of  leading 
in  the  barrel ;  in  fact,  there  cannot  be  any,  if  the 
ball  is  properly  lubricated  when  set  into  the  car- 
tridge. Each  cartridge  may  be  used  an  indefinite 
number  of  times — say  hundreds,  without  apparent 
injury  or  wear. 

If  the  Maynard  primer  could  be  made  as  efficient 
as  a  good  cap,  the  rifle  could  be  fired  from  fifteen 
to  eighteen  times  a  minute ;  but  I  do  not  find  it 
fully  reliable ;  yet,  with  even  a  snap  or  two  occa- 
sionally, it  places  the  muzzle-loaders  fairly  in  the 
shade. 

A  year  or  two  since,  we  had  a  fair  test  of  the 
two ;  for  a  hunting  companion  with  me  fired  at  a 
deer  swimming,  at  over  100  yards,  and  missing ; 
before  he  was  much,  if  any,  more  than  half  re- 


254  HINTS    TO    RIFLEMEN. 

loaded  I  fired  three  balls  into  the  same  deer  (in- 
cluding a  snap  or  two),  and  killing  him,  before  he 
could  escape.  The  last  shot  was  evidently  unneces- 
sary ;  and  it  was  merely  as  a  test  of  the  rapid  and 
effective  firing  of  the  "  Maynard,"  compared  with 
a  muzzle-loader ;  and  the  comparison  was  some- 
thing like  the  old-fashioned  stage  coach  with  the 
modern  locomotive ! 

The  same  afternoon,  with  an  accession  of  several 
comrades,  all  eager  for  the  trophy,  and  all  good 
shots — and,  with  the  exception  of  the  rifle,  greatly 
my  superiors  in  vigor  and  the  chase — I  killed  a, 
second  deer  at  very  long  range,  after  three  or  four 
ineffectual  shots  from  their  rifles. 

The  "  Maynard  "  is  considered  entirely  efficient 
at  more  than  twice  the  range  of  ordinary  muzzle- 
loading  rifles  ;  and  the  greater  the  range  the  more 
marked  the  difference.*  I  yet  know  a  genuine 

*  In  conversation  with  an  officer  of  rank,  and  who  was 
perfectly  familiar  with  the  Maynard  rifle  in  his  many  hunting 
excursions,  he  alluded  to  the  deadly  effect  of  these  rifles  in 
battle ;  stating  that  "  the  terrible  slaughter  of  the  Union 
forces  at  Ball's  Bluff,  was  mainly  owing  to  a  Confederate 
regiment  being  armed  with  the  Maynard  rifles ;  nothing 
could  stand  before  them,  for  they  could  be  fired  in  expert 
hands  with  almost  unerring  and  deadly  aim,  eight  to  ten 
times  a  minute,  and  at  a  range  of  many  hundred  yards." 
He  also  observed,  "  I  saved  my  picket  guard  from  capture 
by  a  squad  of  cavalry,  four  or  five  times  our  own  number,  by 


HINTS   TO   KIFLEMEN.  255 

i{  Leather  Stocking  "  or  two  in  the  mountains  who 
cling  to  the  old,  obsolete  flint  lock  with  great  perti- 
nacity— almost  affection  ;  one  of  them  don't  like  the 
"  pur  cushion"  as  it  is  too  quick  for  his  aim  ;  while 
the  other  carries  a  little  ball  of  wax  to  tinker  up  the 
edges  of  his  old,  worn-out  pan,  to  keep  his  priming 
from  wasting,  every  time  he  shoots  his  old  firelock. 
In  my  opinion,  the  breech-loader  is  destined  to 
supersede  its  prototype,  just  as  certainly  and  effec- 
tually as  the  percussion  has  done  the  flint  lock. 

For  many  years  I  used  '  fine  double-barrelled 
muzzle-loading  rifles,  though  uncomfortably  heavy  ; 
but  the  advantages  of  a  well-constructed  and  light 
breech-loading  rifle  are  so  great,  that  I  could  not 
now  be  induced  to  use  the  former  as  a  gift.  The 

having  mine  at*  my  side.  The  onset  was  furious,  and  the 
order  given  to  cut  every  man  down ;  but  our  firing  was  so 
rapid  and  effective,  that  the  rebels  could  not  stand  it,  and 
fled,  supposing,  no  doubt,  that  they  had  got  into  an  ambus- 
cade. I  lost  but  one  man,  while  a  number  of  their  horses 
went  off.  riderless.  This  sword,  at  my  side,  is  a  Maynard 
trophy,  won  in  that  fight."  As  this  comes  within  the  scope 
of  the  queries,  I  refer  to  these  incidents  to  show  the  opinion 
of  a  most  competent  judge  of  the  Maynard  rifle — one  who  is 
a  practised  hunter,  as  well  as  an  extensive  dealer  and  manu- 
facturer of  guns  and  rifles  for  twenty  years.  He  gave  it  as 
his  opinion,  that  for  convenient  handling,  penetration,  and 
accurate  shooting,  it  could  not  be  surpassed ;  indeed,  all 
things  considered,  it  was  the  best  rifle  he  ever  saw. 


256  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

breech-loader  can  be  readily  charged  in  a  few 
seconds,  and  in  any  position  ; — standing,  sitting, 
lying  down,  or  even  on  horseback  at  a  gallop  :  and 
without  perceptible  motion  of  the  body  or  hands, 
to  alarm  the  game,  although  the  hunter  may  be  in 
full  view.  It  has  repeatedly  occurred  in  my  hunt- 
ing, that  two  or  more  shots  can  be  obtained  with 
a  breech-loading  rifle,  at  as  many  deer  near  each 
other,  and  before  they  can  get  out  of  range.  With 
the  single-barrel  muzzle-loader  this  is  next  to  im- 
possible ;  as  the  requisite  time,  exertion  and  motion 
of  the  body  in  reloading,  alarms  and  enables  the 
others  to  escape  after  the  first  shot. 

I  have  also  a  finely  finished  breech-loading  steel 
barrel  sporting  rifle  made  by  Merrill  &  Co.,  of  Bal- 
timore. So  far  as  I  have  experimented  with  it,  but 
only  to  a  very  limited  extent  as  yet,  tne  loading  and 
firing  are  quite  satisfactory  ;  not  being  complicated, 
and  apparently  durable  in  the  most  material  work- 
ing parts.  It  is  light,  neat,  and  strong ;  the  paper 
and  prepared  muslin  cartridge  is  used,  but  a  metal 
one  will  be  substituted  for  it.  I  will  here  add  a 
few  words  more  on  projectiles,  and  the  expression  of 
an  opinion,  and  most  decidedly  so,  that  no  breech- 
loading  rifle  using  the  paper  cartridge  and  a  conical 
ball,  will  shoot  with  the  same  uniform  precision 
as  with  an  accurately  fitting,  and  correctly  loaded 
metal  one.  The  round  ball,  properly  patched,  with- 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  257 

in  a  prepared  muslin  cartridge  [readily  done  and 
lubricated  also]  is  much  more  reliable ;  indeed,  it 
is  the  only  form  of  projectile,  in  my  experience,  to 
be  depended  upon  in  either  breech  or  muzzle  loader 
for  both  accuracy  and  penetration,  unless  the  metal 
cartridge  is  used. 

An  inaccuracy  in  setting  the  conical  ball  into 
the  cartridge,  even  so  slight  that  the  eye  can  scarce- 
ly, if  at  all,  detect  it,  will  make  it  vary  very  ma- 
terially, and  often  cause  it  to  enter  sidewise.  True, 
we  may  use  a  patched  slug,  and  loaded  tolerably 
well  with  the  rod,  but  the  friction  is  enormous  ;  nor 
have  I  found  the  round,  unmatched  ball  in  a  breech- 
loader sufficiently  reliable.  It  cannot  be  properly 
lubricated,  will  lead  the  barrel,  and  is  very  liable  to 
strip  in  the  grooves,  unless  much  larger  than  the 
caliber ;  in  that  case  it  is  merely  transformed  into 
a  clumsy  blunt  end  slug* 

The  capped  copper  cartridge  is  excellent  in  some 

*  I  may  further  remark  that  a  perfect  ball,  whatever  the 
form,  whether  conical  or  round,  is  very  essential  to  good 
shooting  ;  and  to  have  such,  I  use  the  Patent  Ladle,  invented 
by  A.  N.  Tupper,  of  Potsdam,  New  York.  Each  ball  is  cast 
with  a  considerable  head  of  metal,  say  a  pound  or  two,  and 
clear  of  dross  and  impurity ;  consequently,  every  ball  is  as 
perfect  as  if  turned  in  a  lathe ;  and  the  most  inexperienced 
tyro  is  just  as  competent  to  its  use  as  the  most  scientific  ope- 
rator ;  and  the  balls  are  much  more  rapidly  moulded  also. 
The  whole  thing  is  simple,  cheap,  and  most  efficient. 


258  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

respects  ;  the  certainty  of  fire,  great  facility  of  load- 
ing, and  penetration  ;  and  though  it  may  be  objec- 
tionable in  others,  it  will  probably  come  into  general 
use ;  these  objections  are,  the  difficulty,  if  not  danger 
in  preparation,  the  possibility  of  firing  the  magazine 
by  a  chance  blow  or  fall  on  a  stone,  the  increased 
expense,  and  also  the  uncertainty  of  obtaining  at  all 
times  and  situations  the  exact  and  requisite  article 
in  size,  quality,  &c. ;  for,  without  these  the  rifle  is 
a  useless  appendage.  I  know  the  copper  cartridge 
can  be  readily  exploded  by  a  light  blow  of  a  ham- 
mer, and  the  cartridge  resting  on  wood,  as  I  have 
so  exploded  them  repeatedly  ;  nor  is  a  steel  or  iron 
hammer  required  ;  a  leaden  one  answers  just  as 
well.  The  experiment  is  a  dangerous  one,  unless 
performed  with  judgment ;  and  it  is  about  equally 
dangerous  to  stand  either  behind  or  before  a  copper 
cartridge  thus  exploded. 

These  views,  however,  as  to  accidental  firing 
may  be  matter  of  opinion.  I  only  judge  for  my- 
self, in  adding  that  I  prefer  the  rifle  for  which  the 
ammunition  is  readily  prepared  wherever  powder 
and  lead  are  at  hand ;  and  when  ten  minutes  will 
suffice  to  load  several  dozen  cartridges.  There  may 
be,  possibly,  but  little  danger  of  accidental  explo- 
sion in  the  use  of  the  capped  cartridge  ;  but  I  have 
known  too  many  accidents  from  careless,  handling 
of  firearms  and  ammunition,  to  be  willing  to  in- 


HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN.  259 

crease  the  personal  risk,  or  encounter  the  dread  of  it 
even,  by  carrying  a  score  of  miniature  lonib  shells 
in  my  belt  or  pockets,  "  ready  capped  and  primed  !  " 
Mais  chacun  d  son  gout. 

With  the  Merrill  rifle,  there  is  a  neat  and  very 
useful  appendage  attached  to  the  lever,  and  answer- 
ing a  double  purpose ;  in  re-loading,  it  always  re- 
moves the  exploded  cap,  also  the  empty  cartridge, 
land  effectually  prevents  accidental  firing  until  the 
"  lever  and  plunger  "  are  securely  in  place.  With 
the  prepared  muslin  cartridge  there  appears  to  be 
very  little  escape  of  gas  ;  yet,  there  would  probably 
be  some  little  in  loading  with  loose  ammunition. 

It  appears  to  be  well  adapted  to  hunting  pur- 
poses, and  far  superior  in  handling  to  the  muzzle- 
loader  ;  for  any  hunter  who  has  the  tact  and  skill 
to  kill  a  deer,  can  readily  prepare  his  own  car- 
tridges, and  fire  eight  or  ten  times  with  the  new,  to 
once  or  twice  with  the  Old  Fusee.  Another  strong 
recommendation  in  its  favor  with  many,  is  the  cost. 
The  manufacturers  advise  me  that  they  can  furnish 
a  superior  hunting  rifle  at  quite  a  reasonable  price 
— not  much  above  a  well-finished  muzzle-loader. 
With  some  modifications  as  to  the  cartridge,  sights, 
&c.,  and  as  suggested  by  experience,  the  Merrill 
rifle  will  doubtless  win  its  way  to  notoriety  and 
favor.  But  how  long  these  inventive  champions 
can  lay  claim  to  precedence  or  preeminence,  in  this 


260  HINTS   TO   RIFLEMEN. 

age,  so  fertile  in  inventions  and  improvements  in 
every  branch  of  mechanical  science,  is  a  question 
that  time  alone  can  determine. 

But  I  have  far  exceeded  my  prescribed  limits 
when  taking  up  the  pen,  and  must  conclude  these 
desultory  remarks.  If,  however,  you  can  "  winnow 
any  wheat  from  the  chaff,"  so  as  to  benefit  others — 
gleaned,  as  may  truly  be  said,  by  a  few  moments  at 
a  time,  snatched  from  more  important  and  engross- 
ing business  cares,  my  object  will  be  fully  attained. 

I  am  very  respectfully, 

EDWARD  STABLER. 


A  List  of  the  Different  Patterns  and  Prices  of  Rifles 
and  Carbines,  Manufactured  by 

Colt's  Patent  Fire  Arms  Manufacturing  Co. 

HARTFORD,  CONNECTICUT. 


New  Model  Steel  Mountings,  Six  Shots,  Caliber  or  Size  of  Bore,  86- 
lOOths  of  an  inch  diameter  (carrying  42  Elongated  or  86  Hound 
Bullets  to  the  pound) : 

Twenty-four  inch-Barrel, Weight   9  Ibs.,    $82.60 

Twenty-seven  inch-Barrel,       ....  "10  Ibs.,      85.60 

Thirty-inch-Barrel, Weight  10  Ibs.  8  oz ,       38.50 

Same  Style,  Six  Shots,  Caliber  or  Size  of  Bore,  44-100ths  of  an  inch 
diameter  (carrying  28  Elongated  or  48  Bound  Bullets  to  the 
pound) : 

Twenty-four  inch-Barrel,  ....  Weight  8  Ibs.  15  oz.,  85.00 
Twenty-seven  inch-Barrel,  ....  "9  Ibs.  2  oz.,  88.00 
Thirty-one  and  5-16  inch-Barrel,  .  "9  Ibs.  10  oz.,  41.00 

Same  Style,  Five  Shots,  Caliber  or  Size  of  Bore,  56-100ths  of  an  inch 
diameter  (carrying  14  Elongated  or  24  Bound  Bullets  to  the 
pound) : 

Twenty-four  inch-Barrel,  ....  Weight  8  Ibs.  14  oz.,  87.50 
Twenty-seven  inch-Barrel, ....  "9  Ibs.  11  oz.,  40.50 

Thirty-one  and  5-16  inch-Barrel  (Pattern  used  by  the  U.  8.  Army), 

Weight  9  Ibs.  15  oz.,      43.50 

O  A.  IR  IB  I  3ST  IB  S  . 

New  Model,  Steel  Mountings,  Bifled  Barrels,  18  or  21  inches  long; 
Six  Shots,  Caliber  or  Size  of  Bore,  86-100ths  of  an  inch  diameter 
(carrying  42  Elongated  or  86  Round  Bullets  to  the  pound); 

Weight  8  Ibs.  8  oz.,      80.00 

Six  Shots,  Caliber  or  Size  of  Bore,  44-100ths  of  an  inch  diameter 
(carrying  28  Elongated  or  48  Bound  Bullets  to  the  pound) ; 

Weight  8  Ibs.  12  oz.,      32.50 

Five  Shots,  Caliber  or  Size  of  Bore,  56-100ths  of  an  inch  diameter 
(carrying  14  Elongated  or  24  Bound  Bullets  to  the  pound) ; 

Weight  9  Ibs.  8  oz.,      85.00 


The  Spencer  Repeating  Rifle,  Carbine, 
and  Sporting  Rifle, 


MANUFACTURED 


AT  THE  COMPANY'S  ARMORY, 

Chlckering's  Building,  Tremont  Street,  Boston,  Mass, 

PEIOE  LIST. 


Navy  Rifle,  with  Sabre  Bayonet,          .                          .  $43.00 

Army  Rifle,  with  Angular  Bayonet,          .         .         .        .  40.00 

Army  Rifle,  without  Bayonet, 38.00 

Heavy  Carbine,       .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .  35.00 

Light  Carbine,  not  made  at  present, 

Sporting  Rifle,    "       "     "       "  .        . 

No.  56  Cartridges, $25.00  per  M. 

No.  44         "  16.00    "    " 


Orders  or  inquiries  in  relation  to  the  arm  may  be  ad- 
dressed to 

WARREN  FISHER,   JE., 
Treasurer  Spencer  Repeating  Rifle  Company. 


of  %  iStaill 


Rifled  Cavalry  Carbine,  21-inch  barrel,  Cal.  56-100,  weight 

6±lbs $36.00 

Infantry  Rifle,  with  Sabre  or  Ordinary  Bayonet,  32-inch  bar- 
rel, Cal.  56-100,  weight  9  Ibs 45.00 

Sporting  Carbine,  Extra  Finished,  with  Silver  Plated  Mounting      45.00 
Sporting  Rifle,  No.  1,  26  to  36-inch  barrel,  Cal.  56-100,  or 

32  round  balls  to  Ib.    . 40.00 

Sporting  Rifle,  No.  2,  26  to  36-inch  barrel,  Cal.  44-100,  or 

60  round  balls  to  Ib 40.00 

Sporting  Rifle,  No.  3,  26  to  36-inch  barrel,  Cal.  35-100,  or 

100  round  balls  to  Ib 40.00 

Any  of  the  above  with  Globe  sights,  $5  extra. 
Any  of  the  a*bove  with  Sabre  Bayonets,  $5  extra. 
Cartridges  for  Carbine  and  Infantry  Rifle,  per  1000  .  20.00 

"          "   No.  2  and  3  Sporting  Rifle,    "      "  .       15.00 

Caps  for  any  of  the  Rifles        ......  1.50 

Powder  flask,  gauged  for  exact  Charge       .         .         .         .         1.50 

Extra  Bullet  Mould 1.50 

Carbine  Sling 1.50 

Belt  with  Cartridge  and  Cap-box,  per  set          .        .        .  S.OO 

Wrench 50 

Cases  to  hold  one  Rifle,  with  Cartridges,  Implements,  etc., 
can  be  furnished,  if  desired,  made  of  Walnut,  Rosewood, 
Mahogany,  or  Leather,  at  prices  varying  from    .         $3  to  15.00 
Rifles  made  to  order  of  any  bore  and  length,  at  prices  varying 

from $40  to  150.00 

Muzzle-Loading  Rifles  altered  to  the  Merrill  plan  of  Breech- 
Loading      ^  .         .       20.00 


Terms  Cash  on  Delivery,  in  Par  Funds. 


In  ordering  any  of  the  above,  Address 

MEEEILL,  THOMAS  &  00,, 

No.  239  Baltimore  Street, 

BALTIMORE,  MD. 


F.  WESSON'S  BREECH-LOADING  RIFLE. 


The  superiority  of  WESSON'S  NEW  AND  IMPROVED  BEEECH- 
LOADING  RIFLE  over  all  others  consists  in : 

1st. — Simplicity  of  Construction  and  superior  workmanship.  The 
barrels  are  of  the  finest  of  steel,  and  rifled  in  the  best  manner. 

2d. — Rapidity  of  Loading  and  Firing.  Fifteen  shots  per  minute 
can  be  discharged  with  good  aim.  More  shots  can  be  fired  in  a  given 
length  of  time  tfianfrom  any  magazine  arm. 

3d. — Accuracy  of  Loading.  It  is  impossible  to  load  it  wrong,  and 
this  form  of  Cartridge  gives  all  the  accuracy  of  a  false  muzzle  and 
starter  used  with  the  best  target  guns. 

4th. — It  does  not  require  cleaning  until  you  have  done  your  day's 
shooting,  and  then  one  patch  will  clean  it. 

5th. — The  Cartridges  are  waterproof,  and  can  be  used  in  all  kinds 
of  weather. 

6th. — The  great  force  and  perfect  accuracy  of  shooting.  The 
length  of  the  barrel  is  24  inches.  Whole  weight  of  gun  6  pounds. 
Sizes  of  bore  22-100,  32-100,  38-100,  and  44-100  of  an  inch. 

Directions  for  Using.— Half-cock,  pull  the  forward  trigger  and 
the  barrel  will  rise  at  the  breech  enough  to  put  in  the  cartridge. 
Press  the  barrel  back  to  its  place,  and  it  is  ready  to  cock  and  fire. 

Price  of"  Rifle  Tliirty-five  I>ollar». 

No.  44  Cartridges, $1.75  per  hundred. 

"    38         "                  .....  1.50    "         " 

«    32         " 1.00    "         " 

"    22         "                  50    u         " 

TERMS  CASH  on  delivery,  in  bankable  funds  in  New  York  City, 
if  sent  by  Express,  C.  0.  D. 

Expense  of  return  collections  charged. 

Address, 

J.  W.  STORKS, 

256  Broadway,  New  York. 


GENERAL  LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA— BERKELEY 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or  on  the 

date  to  which  renewed. 
Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


S-, 
12Feb55FC 

JAN  2  9  1955 
25Nov'55GB 


i59PM 
REC'D  i-D 

3EC  7  -  1959 


*EC 


D 


MAR  J  9  igf. 


3 

23Apr'65WF 
LD 


JAN  16  1988 


HHIK.DEC21V 


B 


LD  21-100m-l,  '54(1887sl6)476 


675 


U.C.  BERKELEY  LIBRARIES 


